


Shining Waves

by Fave101



Series: Dare Devil [3]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers, Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-20
Updated: 2018-02-01
Packaged: 2018-10-08 03:06:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 24
Words: 26,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10376463
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fave101/pseuds/Fave101
Summary: Canada and Prussia have been apart of the Survey Corps. for years.  They have seen many people die before they get to see the beauty of the world.  Now the pair of nations have been given a mission to lead some of humanity's most important people to the ocean.





	1. Shining Waves

 

Shining Waves

Started: September 2nd 2016

**AN: I know snk/aot probably takes place in Germany, but shhhhh. This doesn't follow the cannon at all and will have little to no spoilers for the manga or anime.**

Gilbert smiled as he opened his eyes and snuggled closer to Matthew. The first few rays of sunlight shone through the window lighting up the room. The Prussian untangled himself from his partner sadly leaving the warmth of the bed. Canada huffed and pulled the covers over his head and fell back asleep. The blond was never a morning person.

Prussia laughed quietly before putting on his uniform and exiting their room. He quietly shut the door and started down the hall. The torches that lit the hall during the night had burned out and no one bothered to relight them making it fairly dark.

The albino walked into the empty kitchen and started up the stove. He grabbed a kettle, filled it with water and put it on the burner. He made coffee and grabbed some fruit from the counter and started back to the room. Prussia walked in and sat the food on their nightstand. He sat on the edge of the bed and looked at Canada.

The Canadian was all wrapped up in the blankets and only his nose was showing. Gilbert leaned down and kissed the nations nose. It earned him a giggle and a poof of blond hair.

"Come on Birdie, time to vake up." Gilbert said.

"No." Matthew grumbled opening his eyes and looking up at the albino.

"I have fruit and coffee." He coaxed.

Canada grumbled and threw the covers off his head and sat up. "Fine." He said with a yawn. Prussia handed him a cup of coffee and the blond took a sip humming happily.

"So, vhat's on the schedule today?" Prussia asked taking a bite from a pear.

"Dita asked me to break in a colt he's been having trouble with." Matthew said grabbing an apple off the nightstand.

"I guess I'll vatch then." Prussia said. Canada finished his apple and coffee before getting out of bed to get ready.

-❄"Potatoes are much more delicious when they're hot." ❄-

It took the Canadian quite a while to get the horse out of the stall. He would bite and snap at him every time Matthew went to clip the lead into his halter. Finally he was able to trick the colt with a sugar cube.

"Vhat did jou say his name was?" Prussia asked as Matthew carefully groomed the horse.

"Glacies." The blond said finishing picking the horses hooves and moved onto brushing him. Glacies was almost pure white; he had a dusting of black spots in his back and bright blue eyes. It was a very unusual coat for the breed of horse.

"Feisty one isn't he?" Gilbert commented. Canada nodded. He finished grooming Glacies and unclipped him from the grooming stall and led him out to a corral. Prussia grabbed a saddle and bridal on the way.

Matthew tied the lead to one of the rails and gently put the saddle blanket on his back. Glacies looked back at him with his ice blue eyes. Putting the saddle on was a bit more of a battle, Glacies wasn't used to the weight on his back and would try to bite the nation every time he went to tighten the saddle. Canada didn't even bother trying to put the bit in his mouth. He unclipped the lead and tied it on either side of the halter making a makeshift bridal.

"Please don't break anything." Gilbert said from where he was sitting on the rails.

"No promises!" Canada laughed as he climbed onto Glacies. The horse took a second to adjust to the new weight, but when he did he started to buck and kick. Matthew held on tight until Glacies tired out. He started to ride the horse around the corral. Glacies didn't really respond to commands at first, but he did after a couple rounds.

The Canadian looked over to where Gilbert was sitting and noticed that he was looking back at the stables. He could see two people heading towards them. He could tell who they were from the height difference.

Matthew dismounted off Glacies and led him over to the railing and tied him to it. He climbed up and sat next to Prussia. Glacies head butted his side and whinnied. Matthew smiled and petted him. The horse was a lot less aggressive towards him and seemed to want attention.

"Matthew, Gilbert." Erwin greeted, Levi at his side. Glacies head butted Matthew's back almost knocking him off the railing. He reached into his pocket and gave him a sugar cube. "Still having trouble that one?"

"He's not too bad right now, but whoever he ends up with will have to build up a lot of trust before an expedition." Canada said. Glacies kept nudging his side looking for more snacks.

"We won't give him to a trainee than. He needs a more experienced rider." Erwin said. Matthew and Gilbert nodded in agreement. "Anyways, down to business."

"The recent expedition did not go well. The 104th trainees have seemed to have lost their motivation." Levi said.

"That's the squad vith the titan shifter guy right?" Gilbert asked.

"Yes, the brats aren't doing much except moping around." The captain said.

"They are going to be the next generation of leaders in the scout regiment. Right now they need a bit of a boost." Erwin said. "We would like you to take them to the ocean as well as teach them the history of the world."

"Ocean? Haven't been there in a while." Matthew said thoughtfully.

"Vhen do ve leave?" Gilbert asked excitedly.

"We'll have a briefing tomorrow to discuss that." Erwin said. "Meet in board room three at eight o'clock sharp."

**AN: Anyone play Attack on Titan Tribute Game (Fang Lee)? I do! I am Jokul Frosti, if you have RC mod I will have a Jack Frost skin with ghoul eyes, if not then I look like Prussia. I normally play in US servers, forest III. If you see me, say hi!**

 


	2. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

The next morning Gilbert had trouble getting Matthew out of bed. He wouldn't even start to move without a cup of coffee.

"Come on Birdie!" Prussia said pulling the Canadian up into a sitting position only to have him fall back down. "I got jou coffee!"

"Nooo." Matthew whined. The albino pulled him up again, but this time he gave him a kiss. Canada knew Gilbert's plan, he'd tried it many times before. Matthew grabbed Prussia and wrapped him in a bear hug. "Mine." He said nuzzling into Gilbert's neck and pulling him back down into bed.

"Jours, but ve really need to get up." Gilbert said giving him a kiss on the cheek and tried to wiggle out of Matthew's arms. The Canadian held him tighter, but Prussia was able to sit up and pull the blond with him. He kissed Canada's forehead and looked at the pouting nation.

"I will never understand morning people." Matthew grumbled rubbing his eyes slowly getting up to get ready.

"I'm surprised that after like fifty jears jou're still not adjusted to vaking up early." The albino said handing Matthew his glasses and his coffee once he was done changing. Canada didn't really need glasses for everyday life, but needed them for reading. Gilbert ran a hand through his hair. "Ve have fifteen minutes to get there."

-❄"It's nothing personal. I don't like anybody."❄ -

Matthew and Gilbert made it to the board room with a couple of minutes to spare. Canada didn't have enough time earlier to finish his coffee so he brought it with him.

The couple walked in to see the room filled with a group of teenagers. Most of them were sitting in the chairs and a few were almost falling asleep on the table. Erwin and Levi were yet to arrive.

"Ah man you got coffee! Where did you get that?" A teen with light brown hair and a darker undercut asked.

"From the kitchen?" Gilbert said raising an eyebrow.

"Maybe if you looked harder you'd find it." Levi said stepping into the room Erwin right behind him.

"Good morning everyone, please take a seat." Erwin said taking his seat at the head of the table. He introduced Eren, Mikasa, Armin, Jean, Connie, Sasha and Krista to the nations. "These are Matthew and Gilbert. I'll let you explain more about yourselves."

"Hmm... Vhere do ve start?" Prussia said thoughtfully looking over at Matthew.

"I guess the best place to start is that we're not human." The Canadian said watching the trainees' faces change into surprise.

"So if you're not human, than what are you? Are you Titan shifters too?" Asked the one he remembered as Armin.

"No, that vould be pretty cool though." The albino said.

"We are nations, well ex-nations technically." Canada explained.

"What are nations?" Jean asked raising an eyebrow.

Erwin cleared his throat. "You'll have a chance to learn more about them in the coming days. Right now we need to plan this trip." He said gaining everyone's attention.

"Trip? To where?" Eren asked confused.

"Oh, right. I knew I forgot something." Levi muttered.

"What did you forget to tell us, sir?" Sasha asked.

"We have noticed that you all have been fairly down lately. I have decided that it is time you learn more about this worlds past. To do this, Matthew and Gilbert will take you to the ocean." Erwin announced. Eren and Armin's faces lit up with excitement while Mikasa cracked a small smile. The rest of the recruits looked confused.

"You're not joking, are you sir?" Eren asked practically bouncing in his seat.

"Wait, what's an ocean?" Connie asked voicing everyone's confusion.

"An ocean is a large body of water with salt in it." Armin said.

"How long will it take to reach the ocean?" Mikasa asked.

"It will take about two days to get there and two and a half to get back." Matthew said. "The route is probably over grown by now. It might take a little longer."

"Good. You'll stay there for two days then to make six and have an extra day for weather or emergency." Erwin said jotting notes down. "What route do you plan on taking?"

"The safest one is exit out the northern most gates, less titans in the cold." Canada said. "The only problem is that the district up there hasn't been in contact with us since wall Maria fell. There are people still up there, but I don't know if the wall is damaged or if they will be able to let us in."

"It would be a good opportunity to open the lines of communication if you can get inside." Erwin nodded. He handed the nations a piece of blank paper and a pencil. "Can you draw out the route you'll take and how far you can travel each day?"

Matthew started to sketch a map of North America and marked out their path. Once he was finished he slid it over to Erwin. "How far we can travel each day will depend on the weather. It's the season where the weather could go either way."

The group continued to discuss more in detail the equipment and rations they would need for the trip. They decided that they would leave tomorrow morning.


	3. Chapter Three

Chapter Three

 **AN: Haven't been watching season 2. Don't really have an interest in it or the manga anymore…**  
  
"Are you sure you got everything?" Canada asked as Gilbert checked over his bags then his manoeuvring gear.

"Ja Birdie. I'm sure I got everything." Prussia said with a smile.

"Ready?" Matthew asked. The albino nodded and they started down the hall to the stables. The members of 104th squad were already there and readying their horses.

"Are jou taking Glacies?" Prussia asked raising an eyebrow.

"No. He needs a lot more training before he goes anywhere." The Canadian said opening the stall and taking out his horse Spitfire. She was a cherry bay with white socks on all four legs, black mane and tail with a diamond on her nose. She whinnied and nudged his shoulder. Prussia walked over to his horses stall. His name was Mondi and he was dapple grey with a black tail and mane. It took both nations only a couple of minutes to ready their horses.

Most of the younger scouts were almost ready but, Sasha was having trouble getting the bit in her horse's mouth. Matthew handed Spitfire's rains over to Prussia and went over to help Sasha.

"Try rubbing his gums then tickling under his tongue." Canada said.

Sasha looked at him confused for a second, but did what he suggested. The horse easily took the bit. "Thank you! He's so stubborn most of the time. Jean normally has to do it for me; he has a way with horses." She said with a shy smile.

"He looks like a horse too!" Connie said as he led his horse past. Matthew and Sasha laughed.

"He kinda does." The blond said remembering an old animated movie about a horse.

-❄"You do you and I'll do me and we won't do each other... Probably."❄-

It took the rest of the group another half hour to finish readying their horses and checking over their gear. They were now in a clump in front of the stables

"Hey everyone! Listen up!" Prussia yelled. Everyone turned to him. "Ve're heading out now! Mount up!"

Everyone quickly mounted their horses and they headed out of the scouting headquarters. They galloped through the forest until they reached the first town. People stopped to look as the scouts passed.

Matthew felt uncomfortable having eyes on him and he pulled up his hood. He noticed that a few of the other scouts had done the same. After a couple of minutes they were outside of the little village.

"So why are we going all the way around wall Sina?" Canada heard Jean ask. Gilbert looked over his shoulder to answer him, but Armin beat him to it.

"Because it will take less time; it seems counterproductive going around, but having to go through the districts and getting the military polices permission to go through Sina would take a lot longer." Armin explained. Jean thought about it and nodded understanding.

After a couple of hours of traveling and talking amongst themselves they had reached Nedly. The gate into the district was open as they road through. The younger scouts looked around. They'd never been this far north before. The town was structured the same, but the buildings were a different style.

"It's kinda cold here." Connie commented rubbing his ears.

"Jou might vant to vear jour hat or gloves." Gilbert suggested. Connie smiled remembering that he had them and reached into his saddle bag to grab it.

People started to line the streets as the words that some scouts were in town spread. Matthew looked at the crowds as they passed from under his hood. He didn't recognize anyone, not that he was expecting to. They'd had not seen any other nations in years.

Canada stopped Spitfire and dismounted to talk to a garrison member. They were going to open the gate soon. The blond got back onto his horse and turned to talk to the trainees.

"The garrison will open the gates within the next five minutes on our signal. There are no titans in sight currently, but keep a look out." Matthew said loudly enough for the scouts to hear. "Stay close and if we get into a fight, conserve your supplies."

The trainees nodded listening carefully. Gilbert gave the garrison the signal to lift the gate. Canada looked around again. His eyes wandered over the crowd lazily. He spotted a man with gold hair and blue eyes. Matthew immediately recognized him, but his attention was caught by the gate opening. He made a mental note to come find them later.

"Can't wait to be outside the walls again." Eren said with a sigh.

"Vell, technically jou're outside of two walls, not all three. So Jour not really outside the valls." Gilbert pointed out.

"Didn't think about that before." Eren said with a shocked face.

"Good job Jaeger!" Jean commented rolling his eyes.

The gate was finally open high enough for them to see outside. The horses stomped in anticipation. Gilbert let Mondi start cantering towards the gate, the others followed his lead. By the time they reached the gate it was fully open and the urged their horses into a gallop.

Matthew smiled as the wind hit his face and blew his hood down. He was happy to be getting closer to home; the boarder was only about a kilometre away. For a minute he wasn't worried about anything, but then he remembered where he was.

The Canadian did a quick sweep looking for any signs of titans in the abandoned city. Just as the garrison had said, there were no titans in sight. He didn't let his guard down though.

**AN: I haven't been too active on here lately. Been playing a lot of aottg and Flight Rising… Whoops.**


	4. Chapter Four

Chapter Four

"So how do you guys know where we're going without a map?" Sasha asked. Matthew and Gilbert just smiled, but didn't answer.

The scouts kept traveling for almost an hour before the first titans appeared. There were two about two kilometres to the east, one crawler and abnormal. Matthew and Gilbert had a silent communication and Canada drew his blades.

"What's happening?" Connie asked watching the nations carefully.

"Keep close to me." Prussia said. "Ve don't want to get split up out here."

"There's only two of them. We could take 'em." Jean said.

"We don't plan on fighting them, but if they do notice us or get too close I will take them on." Matthew said. "If I get separated I can't really get lost out here."

A few of the trainees listened while the others looked ready to jump off their horses at a moment's notice. They kept in a tight formation as they passed by the titans. The ugly giants didn't even move as they galloped by.

The scouts relaxed as they got further away from the titans. The Canadian sheathed his blades once they were out of sight.

Over the next couple of hours they saw only a couple titans in the distance. The titans didn't make a move towards them. There were fewer titans in the cold and the ones that were around weren't too active.

Prussia watched Matthew closely waiting for his facial expression to change. He could tell by Canada's body language that they had just crossed the old border. The Canadian looked a lot more relaxed.

It was starting to get dark when wall Maria came into sight. They could see little lights and shadows moving on the top of the wall.

"Armin, shoot a blue flare please." Canada called over his shoulder. Armin nodded and shot the flare. The Canadian watched the people up on the wall scramble as they got closer. The people shot a flair back in response. When they got close enough the gate started to open. The scouts rushed through and the gate closed behind them.

Canada pulled Spitfire to a stop and quickly checked to make sure everyone made in inside. He sighed in relief that they had made it there and with so little titans encountered. People started to flow out of the town to see the new comers.

"Hello!" A member of the districts garrison greeted them. They had long dark brown hair and bright blue eyes. Gilbert and Matthew dismounted their horses and the trainees did the same. "What are you scouts doing way out here?"

"On a little bit of a trip." Prussia said. He introduced himself and the others. "And jou are?"

"My name is Anna; I'm the highest ranking officer of the garrison here." They said with a confident smirk.

"Ahh good. Ve'd like to talk vith jou." Gilbert said.

"Of course." Anna said. "I'll take you to the stables because I'm assuming you're staying for the night."

As they were walking they got a better look at the city. After over ten years without contact with the other cities it looked pretty run down. The people looked a little worse for wear. Their clothes had holes in them, but they didn't look sick or starving.

"How have you been managing?" Matthew asked once they had left the stables and were in the garrison's headquarters.

"Fairly well. At first we survived off what we had for about a year, but we ran out. It's pretty cold up here so we can't grow fruits." Anna said scratching the back of their neck. "We didn't do much farming up here in the first place. It took a little while to figure out, but we're doing okay."

Canada and Prussia continued to talk business with Anna for the next hour. The trainees looked board, but they listened through it.

-❄"Procrastination is the art of keeping up with yesterday."❄-

Soon after Anna showed them to where they could sleep for the night. It was a small cozy home with a wood burning stove in the corner. Prussia thanked Anna as they left.

"Ah, it's so nice in here." Krista hummed warming her hands.

"Is it going to be this cold for the rest of the way?" Connie asked rubbing his ears.

"It will be colder for the next couple of days; there were some snow clouds on the horizon." Canada explained. "It will be warmer when we get closer to the ocean. It's the season where one day it could be snowing like crazy then there is a heat wave the next day."

"Snow?" Armin asked. "I haven't seen snow since I was little."

"Snow is so much fun." Gilbert said with a smile.

"I remember when it snowed every year." Canada sighed.

"How long ago was that?" Eren asked.

"That was before the walls existed." Matthew said setting his stuff down. Gilbert sat his pack beside Canada's and sat down next to it. The trainees set their stuff down and started to set up for the night.

"So how old are you?" Sasha asked. Unrolling her sleeping bag and sitting down.

"Well I was about four hundred and fifty around the time the titans came, so maybe eight hundred, nine hundred? I haven't been keeping track." Matthew said.

"You're immortal?" Mikasa asked keeping a neutral face.

"No, not fully." Prussia said.

"Is that part of the nation thing?" Jean asked raising an eyebrow. "What is a nation anyways?"

"There are two definitions to 'nation.' A nation is an area of land that is sectioned off vith invisible boundaries. The people that live inside those boundaries make up the nation." Prussia explained. "It's like one of the districts, but governed by different people in each.

"So you're a piece of land then?" Connie asked skeptically. A few of the younger scouts laughed.

Matthew smiled and shook his head. "No, we are the other definition of nation. We are the personifications of the nation or country. We represent the people and land as a person."

"So, are your country's called Matthew and Gilbert?" Jean asked raising an eyebrow.

"No, those are our human names. My nation name was Canada and Gil's was Prussia." The Canadian said.

"Where are we right now?" Sasha asked.

"In my country." Matthew said.

"Is that how you knew where we were going without a map?" Sasha demanded. Canada nodded.

"What is your relationship to each other?" Mikasa asked. "Are you dating?"

"Engaged, actually." Gilbert said with a smile.

"Awww!" Krista squealed. "For how long?"

"How old is Pixies now?" Canada asked. "60ish? Around that long, maybe a bit longer. We don't keep exact dates very well."

**AN: Posting a little bit early today!  Also, Kingsman: The Golden Circle trailer!  UGHHHH I need it now!**


	5. Chapter Five

Chapter Five

**AN: So I will probably skip over most of the traveling in this fic. It would just get repetitive. This chapter is long!**

The next morning everyone was up and ready by ten. They were with their horses at the northern most gate. Anna and a few other garrison members were readying to open the gate and were scanning for titans.

A crowd had formed around the scouts as they mounted their horses. Anna came down from the wall.

"Ready?" They asked. The scouts nodded. "There are a pair of titans to the east, but they're far off. Oh and there are some storm clouds over there too."

"Good. We'll be heading to the west then to the south west. We won't be back for at least six days." Matthew said. "Thank you for your hospitality. We'll be sure to get some supply and communication lines set."

"No problem. We really need more cannon shells, were completely out." Anna said scratching the back of their neck. "Anyways, we'll see you soon. Give us the signal when you're ready." They said giving a wave as they used their 3dmg to get up the wall.

Matthew and Gilbert checked over their shoulders to make sure the other scouts were ready. They looked excited to be outside the walls again. Spitfire stomped and Canada petted her neck. Gilbert looked up and gave the signal. The gate started to slowly rise.

The cold wind swept under the gate blowing the Canadians hair into his eyes. He smiled as Spitfire edged forward. The gate opened high enough for them to get through and they urged their horses forward into a gallop.

It seemed to be a lot colder outside the walls. Almost all of the trainees quickly put on their new winter gear as they moved through the countryside. The wind picked up a little and a few snowflakes fell. They could see their breath in the air.

"It's getting cold." Krista commented quietly pulling her hat down over her ears and pulling up her hood.

"And it's snowing." Jean complained.

"We'll be heading southwest soon. It'll get warmer." Canada said. He was enjoying the cold. Being a northern country it took him years to get used to living in a warmer climate.

-❄"If you think adventure is dangerous, try routine, it's lethal."❄-

As the sun started to go down the snow continued to fall lightly. The wind had picked up more throughout the day and now it was blowing the snow that stuck on the ground around.

A group of shadows came into view. At first Canada thought they were titans, but as they got closer he could see that it was a small cluster of evergreen trees.

"Ve'll stay there for the night." Gilbert said. Matthew nodded. The scouts galloped towards the trees. As soon as they broke through the tree line the wind seemed to almost disappear.

Inside the tree line there was a small clearing covered in snow. The evergreens had provided shelter from the wind and snow.

The Canadian pulled Spitfire to a stop and dismounted. He dropped her reins and let her roam around, she wouldn't go far. The others did the same and took their gear out of there saddle bags. The scouts started to set up camp and got a fire going for the night. Matthew started to cook supper with Sasha while everyone else set up there sleeping bags. They didn't bother to pack tents because they would have just added extra weight.

The scouts sat in a circle around the fire eating quietly before Armin spoke up. "Do you remember the day the Titans came?"

"I don't remember much of it. I was out for a lot of it." Matthew said looking over to Gilbert. "A lot of my people died that day. When they're hurting or distressed I can feel it."

"I remember it, it vas one hell of a day. Ve vere at home, I vas vatching TV and Birdie vas reading. All of a sudden he got really tense." Prussia paused trying to remember more. He got a few confused looks when he said 'TV.' "I remember switching the TV to the news channel and seeing there's giants being shown, then the valls. After that it's all a blur."

"Do you have any ideas where they came from?" Eren asked. "Also what's a TV?"

"Not really, a lot of theories were the American or Russian governments had experiments that had gone wrong." Canada said with a shrug. "America and Russia are other countries."

"So, TV?" Jean questioned.

"A TV is umm…" Matthew tried to think of something to relate it to that they would understand. "It's a box with moving pictures or drawings inside."

"You have a TV?" Connie asked.

"Not anymore." Prussia said.

"Moving drawings? So it's like a flip book, but it moves it's self then?" Mikasa said raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, that's pretty much it." Canada said with a smile. "It wouldn't be just drawings, but it also had normal people on it too."

"It can play real people too, that's amazing! How does it work?" Armin asked. Prussia quickly explained how a TV worked and briefly went over electricity.

"Almost all of that kind of tech vas lost it melted down years ago." Gilbert said.

"I still have my iPod and solar charger, it surprisingly still works. I don't have it on me though." Canada said also explaining what those were. "There are so many things to explain. What do you want to hear about?"

"What did the world look like? I mean, like a map of it all. Is that even possible?" Jean asked.

"It looked like this." Canada said drawing a rough outline in the snow. "It's made up of seven continents and over two hundred countries. We are hereish." He said pointing to the middle of what used to be Alberta. "We're going to the Pacific Ocean, close to the boarder of what used to be America."

"What is the other big chunk of land?" Krista asked pointing at the map.

"That's Europe, Asia and Africa. Those are other continents. Ve are in North America." Prussia said.

"So you're this one," Eren pointed at the map. "Where are you?" He asked Gilbert.

"I was right about here." The albino said pointing.

"You guys were far apart." Krista said looking concerned.

"It didn't take as long to travel back then. Ve had cars, trains and planes. It vould only take about a day to get there." Prussia shrugged.

**AN: There might be a few scraps of an idea I took out left in this chapter. They should be all gone, but I could have missed something.**


	6. Chapter Six

Chapter Six

"Only a day to go that far?!" Eren yelled surprised.

Canada smiled. "Yeah, planes were the fastest. They were pretty much big metal birds that we could fly." He said remembering an airfield. "Bi-planes were made out of wood and cloth, then later, more modern planes were made of metal. And close to the time  
the titans came they were powered by jet engines instead of propellers."

"World war?" Krista asked worriedly.

"Ja, those vere some bad days." Gilbert sighed looking blankly at the fire.

"We'll talk about those later." Canada said. "They'll take a while to explain."

"How were the planes controlled?" Armin asked fascinated.

"The pilot would control it with the control stick which controlled the ailerons and rudders." The blond explained recalling a memory of the first time he flew a jet. It was one of his favourite memories of messing around and seeing what the new machine could do.

"That sounds like it would be so much fun!" Connie said excitedly.

"They were amazing." The Canadian said with a small smile. "It's getting late, we need to get up fairly early tomorrow. I'll take first watch, who would like to join me?"

"I will!" Armin volunteered quickly.

"Okay, ve'll do two shifts vith two people for each." Gilbert said. Everyone nodded in agreement. "Vho vants to take the next shift?"

"We will." Krista and Sasha volunteered.

"Okay, we'll wake you up in two hours." Matthew said standing up. "We'll use the tallest tree as our lookout point. There probably won't be any titans, its night and cold, but it's better to be safe than sorry."

Armin nodded and followed him up the tree while the others bedded down. Canada sat down on one of the thicker high branches and offered a hand to Armin who was still climbing. They didn't use their manoeuvring hear because they didn't want to use gas out of combat.

"Thanks." Armin said taking the Canadians hand. He settled down on the branch and looked around. They were very high up. The moonlight lit up the countryside as it reflected off the snow covered ground. Canada could see mountains a couple of kilometres away that he couldn't see earlier because of the snow. The snow had almost stopped falling and the wind died down to a gentle breeze. The trees had sheltered them from the brunt of the storm. "Wow, it's beautiful."

Matthew hummed in agreement looking up at the stars. "I really miss living out here."

"How long has it been since you've been on your land?" Armin asked.

"A decade or so." Canada said. "It's hard for a nation to be away from their land for a long time." He couldn't imagine how Gilbert feels or how any other nation that was trapped in North America after the titans came.

"Have you seen any other nations?" The younger blond asked.

"We kept in touch for a while, but we haven't seen any other nations for quite a long time." Canada said. "We do know that there are people living outside the walls and there could be another set of walls in Europe. A lot of them could be living over there."

Armin nodded remembering the map. "Are there people living around here? You can feel them on your land?"

"Not around here, but there are some people living way up north." The elder scout said. "I haven't gone up the them yet. Haven't got permission, not that I really need it, but we'd rather stay on good terms with the higher ups."

"Why hasn't anyone noticed that you haven't aged?" Armin asked.

"We normally keep to ourselves unless Erwin wants something." Canada shrugged. "People don't really notice us much."

The rest of the time was spent quietly talking about many different things and how they worked. Armin was eager to ask and learn and Matthew was happy to explain.

"We should wake up Krista and Sasha." Canada said, Armin nodded. Matthew slipped off the edge of the branch and dropped a few feet before catching one a dropping again. The younger blond followed him down climbing more carefully.

Matthew landed in a crouch on the snow covered ground. He looked around, everyone was sleeping peacefully. The Canadian smiled looking over at Gilbert. His hair blended in perfectly with the snow. Armin jumped down next to him with a loud thump. He tensed waiting to see if he woke anyone up, but no one moved.

"I'll wake up Sasha, you wake Krista." Matthew said. He quietly walked over and knelt down next to her and poked her shoulder. Sasha jumped up, startled looking around.

"Oh, hi." She whispered scratching the back of her neck.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." The blond whispered back.

"It's okay. I've always been pretty jumpy." Sasha said walking over to where Krista stood running her eyes. They started up the tree.

Matthew walked over to his sleeping bag and took of his cloak and jacket. He laid down next to Gilbert. The albino blinked awake and yawned throwing a arm around Canada and pulling him closer.

-❄"We're doomed."❄-

The next morning the sun rose and Gilbert was already up and making breakfast. Matthew yawned and rolled over. He smelt something that smelled good and opened his eyes. Canada rolled onto his feet and grabbed his jacket.

A few of the scouts were already up and waiting for their breakfast. Once they were finished they packed up and mounted their horses and started towards the mountains.

 

**AN:  AHHH I'm a day late!  Sorry!**


	7. Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

The mountains loomed over head. They were tall and capped with snow. At their base was a small forest of evergreen and oaks. The scouts galloped towards them. The sun was shining overhead melting the thin layer of snow left on the ground making it muddy.

"Are we climbing up those things or?" Jean asked with a yawn.

"There's a valley we'll go through. Won't have to climb too much." Canada called over his shoulder. "We'll get there in about an hour."

The temperature had risen along with the sun. By lunch all the snow had melted. They sat on the edge of the forest having a quick meal break. When they finished they got back onto their horses and trotted carefully through the forest. They didn't see any titans, but that didn't mean there weren't any around.

Matthew cautiously listened for any signs of titans. Inside the forest it was dark, barely any light shone through the trees. The dark forest wasn't very deep. The scouts could see the end of the forest through to the rocks where the mountain started.

The horse's hooves clicked on the stone. Most of the path leading through the mountain was flat shale rocks. Some of it would break and crumble under their hooves and the horses hooves would slip.

"We might need to lead the horses when we get further up. We don't want to risk an injury." Matthew said to the scouts. They nodded and carried on. As they got further up the mountain the path narrowed. They had to ride single instead of side by side.

Spitfire slipped again and Canada decided it was time to get off. He dismounted and pulled the reins over her head. The other scouts did the same and they carefully led their horses. Gilbert waited for the others to pass to bring up the rear.

After another couple of hours of hiking they reached the top of the path. At the end of the path there was a large outcrop, big enough for them all to fit in. There was a wall of rock to the left and a small path to the right. It was a sheer drop off the side of the cliff and path. The path leading down was less than a meter wide. Matthew sighed and pet Spitfire as he looked around. She whinnied and leaned into his touch.

"Wow." Eren said in amazement looking over the countryside. As the rest of the younger scouts made it to the top they had similar reactions. Gilbert led his horse over to Matthew's side. "It's huge!"

The ocean was stretched out for as far as the eye could see. The sun shone down on it making the water look silver. Before that was a sandy beach with drift wood scattered about. There were no titans in sight.

"That's the ocean!" Armin said excitedly. "We made it!"

"Not quite, almost. Ve've still have to make it down to the shore." Gilbert said. "Ve'll be there by night fall."

Spitfire whinnied and pulled on her reins. Canada turned to pet her and to see what had spooked her. He looked to where her ears were pointing and gasped.

"Titan!" He called spotting one stomping towards them; it was blocking the way down the mountain. Matthew drew his blades and prepared for a fight. "It's blocking our way down. We're going to have to kill it." He explained calmly. The younger scouts nodded and drew their swords as well.

Canada ran straight towards the titan, Prussia right beside him. The red haired seven meter tall titan stared down at the older scouts. It was unaware of the other scouts that were trying to flank it. Matthew jumped and engaged his hooks and hit the titan in its shoulder. He reeled towards it as Gilbert did the same, but to the opposite shoulder.

The ugly giant looked down at the hooks in its shoulders and shook lazily. Matthew and Gilbert's paths were altered slightly because of the shaking. The blond landed on the titan's chest and quickly unhooked letting himself fall before hooking again and swinging through the gap in between the titan's legs.

The Canadian looked up the see Mikasa hooking into the titan's nape. She reeled in and easily killed it. The titan fell to its knees and flopped onto the ground. The horses scattered and got out of the way. Matthew sighed in relief watching and as Mikasa stuck to the mountain side and hung there. Gilbert dropped down from where he was on the mountain and the other scouts stayed where they were.

Matthew felt another vibration in the ground and turned around. There were more titans coming up the trail. Canada looked over his shoulder to see if they could escape back down the mountain, but a titan was crawling on all fours up the path. There was a pair of Titans behind the crawler.

"What are we going to do?" Sasha yelled down taking in the situation.

"There's no other way down the mountain. We're trapped, we have to fight." Matthew called up. The scouts nodded and split off into two groups, one going towards the crawler and the others going to the group of titans. Mikasa, Armin, Eren and Jean followed Gilbert while Connie, Sasha and Krista followed Matthew.

The Canadian ran towards the crawler and waved his blades to get its attention. It looked at him and scuttled towards him. Matthew turned and ran away letting it follow him. Connie hooked into its back and edged his way towards the neck.

Canada was running out of ground and space. The edge of the cliff was nearing and the crawler was gaining on him. Connie climbed closer to the nape and stood up keeping is balance. He stabbed it in the neck and twisted his blade around in the flesh. Matthew slid to a stop inches from the edge. The crawler collapsed less than a foot from him.

"That was close." Connie said jumping down next to the nation. Matthew nodded. He looked over to see Gilbert and the other half of the scouts still fighting the group of titans, there were three left.

The rest of Matthews's group was still fighting the pair of titans that had followed the crawler. Connie started running back towards the group and the blond followed him. Canada jumped and hooked into the cliff side to move quicker. He perched on the rocks waiting for a good angle on one of the titans napes.

The titans were too close together to get a good angle. "Spread out!" Matthew called dropping to the ground. Connie and Sasha went towards the wall of rock and Matthew and Krista went to the right.

The larger of the titans slowly stomped after Krista and Canada while the smaller one went after Connie and Sasha. Krista ran at the titans and hooked onto its shoulder. She swung up and cut the eyes while Matthew got its heels.

The Titan moaned and clutched its eyes as Canada cut through its Achilles. The titan's legs turned to jelly and it fell forward. Krista zipped around it flying up into the air and hooking back into the nape. She came down quickly and killed it.

The nation looked over to Connie and Sasha. Their titan was lying on the ground steaming. The blond looked over to where Gilbert and his group were still fighting titans.

"Split up and help them." Matthew said. "Keep a close eye on your gas."

**AN: So Hot Rod/Rodimus is going to be in the new transformers, but he's got a French accent. It's kinda weird, but I don't mind it too much. Rodimus is my favorite transformer! I'm a huge G1 nerd and been meaning to read MTMTE.**


	8. Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

Matthew ran towards Gilbert's group, his team right behind him. He kept to the ground for now not wanting to waste any gas. He caught Armin's eye as he flew past one of the smaller titans. The younger blond pointed to its eyes. Canada nodded understanding what Armin wanted. He ran faster and shot his hooks into the small giant's eyes.

Armin slashed its neck and Canada slid between its legs. He looked up to see one of the bigger titans had its back to him. He jumped into the air and hooked into the nape. The Canadian reeled quickly towards it and cut easily into its nape. He unhooked and jumped off the titan as it's started to fall. He landed in between two of the other titans.

One of the titans looked down at him and went to grab him. Matthew rolled out of the way under the titans hand and through its legs. He looked up to see Eren slashing through the nape and flipping backwards off of it.

The Canadian scaled the side of the rock wall to hopefully get a better angle on the titans. While he was up there he could see only two more titans walking up the path adding to the three that were still there.

"I should go titan!" Eren yelled from the ground looking up.

"No!" Mikasa hissed landing next to him. "We've got this under control. Look how many we've killed without an injury, your titan isn't needed right now."

Canada stopped listening to their conversation knowing that Mikasa could take care of Eren. Krista was running around one of the titan's feet. She was completely out of blades. The ugly giant reached down and grabbed her. She wriggled and squirmed trying to get out of its grasp. No one else was close enough to help her.

The blond jumped off the cliff and hooked into the side of the titans head. The ugly giant paused to look at Krista for a second. It wasn't distracted at all by the hook in its head. Matthew reeled in as quickly as possible and slashed at the titan's eyes. It moaned and dropped Krista. The ugly giant snapped at the older scout and caught his cape between its teeth.

Matthew reacted quickly. He let go of his swords and undid his cape. He dropped; unable to land correctly, he fell awkwardly on a bolder. The nation felt cracking in his ribs and let out a strangled cry. His ribs burned and it was painful to breathe.

The Canadian was oblivious to the titan behind him until it stepped forward. The footsteps sent painful vibrations through him. Canada looked over his shoulder to see the titan's huge foot hovering over him. His eyes widened and he quickly rolled away as it came down.

Matthew rolled shakily to his feet and looked up to see Gilbert finish off the titan. The albino hopped off the body and ran over to him.

"Are jou okay?" Prussia asked panicked, looking the Canadian over. The blond had a pained expression on his face and an arm across his chest.

"Just a couple of broken ribs and maybe collar bone." Canada said tenderly hugging his chest.

"Punctured lung?" The albino asked worriedly.

"Don't think so. It doesn't feel like it." Matthew said taking a deep breath. It still hurt to breathe, but he didn't feel out of breath.

"Thank gott." Gilbert said sighing in relief. He knew that the blond would heal quickly. Prussia stood on his tippy toes and kissed Canada's cheek, Matthew smiled. It wasn't often they showed affection in public.

The younger nation looked around remembering the situation they were in. Eren had just finished off the last titan and the other scouts were around the steaming corpses of the ugly giants. Krista came running over after spotting the older scouts.

"Matthew! Thanks so much for saving me!" She said. "I saw the titan bite your cape, are you okay?"

Canada nodded and sheathed his swords. "I'm fine. Just a few broken or cracked ribs."

"'Just a few broken or cracked ribs,' that's pretty serious." Armin said furrowing his eyebrows.

"Nations heal quicker." Matthew said. "I'll be fully healed in a day or two."

"Does it still hurt?" Sasha asked.

"Does it ever." Matthew grumbled. Then he said louder, "We need to keep moving before more titans come and it gets dark."

The scouts didn't ask any more questions. They could tell that Matthew wasn't in the mood to answer anything else. Prussia went over and grabbed Matthew's cape and handed it to the blond. It was ripped at the ends, but the Canadian still clipped it on.

Everybody whistled and called for their horses. Canada was relieved that Spitfire came right away. He didn't need to put too much strain on his ribs. Jean and Connie's horses came seconds after and everyone else's weren't too far behind.

Gilbert checked over everyone's equipment to make sure nothing was missing before mounting Mondi. "Ve need to be very careful. This cliff is just vide enough for us to pass. It is also very steep." The 104's listened carefully and nodded.

The scouts started down the pass. Gilbert was leading and Matthew was bringing up the back. Canada held his chest as Spitfire moved forward. It burned with sharp pain at every step, but he knew that it was healing.


	9. Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

**AN: Happy late Canada Day and 4th of July!**

They finally made it down off the side of the mountain without any missteps. At the base was a small forest of giant cedar trees. There wasn't much underbrush for titans to hide in.

"What kind of trees are these?" Krista asked looking around. There were birds jumping around the canopy that stopped to look down at them.

"They're cedars." Matthew said watching the birds. One swooped down and landed on his shoulder. He smiled and held a finger out. The gold bird hopped off his shoulder and onto his finger. "Hello little guy."

"Birdie's got a birdie." Prussia laughed as another blue coloured bird flew down and landed on Matthew. "Jou look like Cinderella. Jou're just missing a trio of rats."

The other scouts paused and gathered around Canada. "What kind of birds are those?" Armin asked watching the two birds jump around on the Canadians hand.

"A goldfinch and a mountain blue bird." Canada said. The two birds jumped off his finger and hopped along Spitfire's mane. She quickly shook them off and they flew back into the trees. Matthew smiled wanting to laugh, but afraid to hurt his ribs.

"I've seen the yellow one before, but not the blue one." Mikasa said still following the birds with her eyes.

"They don't go too far in land. There vill be a lot of thing jou guys probably haven't seen before inside the valls." Gilbert said starting off again. Matthew rode beside him and the younger scouts followed behind.

They could hear the waves splashing against the shore now. Canada could smell the ocean. Spitfire neighed and shook her mane. "Almost there." He said petting her neck. Gilbert looked over and smiled.

The ocean finally came into view. They could see shining patches of blue through the trees. The dirt underneath the horse's hooves turned to sand and the ocean stretched out in front of them. Canada and Gilbert dismounted and led their horses. The younger scouts dismounted as well and knelt down to feel the sand.

Matthew watched a seagull fly over head towards the high rocky walls to the south of them. They were in a bay that had these cliffs on both sides.

"It's warm." Sasha said holding up a handful of sand. It slowly flowed out of her fingers and she grabbed more. Eren, Armin and Mikasa drifted closer to the ocean.

"It's so beautiful." Armin said looking at the waves lapping at his feet.

"Never thought that we'd actually make it here." Mikasa said kneeling down and putting a hand into the damp sand. She left a hand print that the water washed away.

"It's cold." Eren said putting a hand into the ocean. He cupped his hands and took some of the water. He took a sip and quickly spit it out. "It's so salty." He said making a face.

"Don't drink it. It will make you sick." Canada said walking over to the edge of the shore, Gilbert at his side.

"Going for a swim?" The albino asked.

"Not today." Matthew said. "Maybe, if my ribs are healed, tomorrow."

"How do we get the salt out of the water?" Armin asked scooping up a handful and letting it flow out of his hands. "It's not really drinkable right now."

"Ve'd have to boil it and catch the steam." Gilbert explained.

"That seems like a pain in the ass." Jean said walking over and putting a hand on his hip. The other scouts hand drifted over to the edge of the water. Their horses were playing next to the tree line.

"It is, that's why we brought water." Matthew said walking back over to the horses and calling Spitfire. She came trotting over and Canada took her saddle off. He winced as a spike of pain went through him. 'That was a bad idea,' he thought setting the saddle down and took her bridle off. Spitfire whinnied happily and nudged his shoulder before running off. The Canadian laughed quietly not wanting to put too much strain on his ribs.

"We're just letting them run around?" Krista asked worriedly petting her horse's nose.

"They vill be okay." Gilbert said taking off his horses bridle. "They'll come when you call."

"Okay." The young blonde said starting to take the tack of her horse.

"We need to start setting up camp. The sun is starting to set, we don't want to be doing it in the dark." Matthew called. The scouts quickly started to unpack and set up the camp as Canada started supper.


	10. Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

The scouts sat around the campfire and were eating supper. The sun had just disappeared behind the horizon, but still gave off a little light.

"So what lives in the ocean?" Eren asked. "I know there are fish, but is there anything else?"

"There are a lot of things in the ocean. There are sharks, which are meat eating fish, whales that are as long as the scout's headquarters and weird eight legged octopus." Matthew said. "We don't know too much about what's down there. Less than twenty percent of it was explored."

"Why wasn't it explored?" Connie asked setting his dishes down in the sand.

"The pressure vas too much. It could kill jou if jou go too deep." The albino explained lying back and looking up at the sky.

"What is an octopus?" Armin asked raising an eyebrow.

"They were weird. They were like jelly and had no bones. They had eight tentacles with suction cups on them." Matthew said remembering when Gilbert and him had gone to an aquarium.

"That's weird." Sasha said. "What did it taste like?"

"I never ate it." Canada said.

"I don't blame you." Eren said with a disgusted face.

"Some people did. My brother's friend Japan did." Prussia said absentmindedly. The sun had fully gone down now and the only lights were from the fire and stars.

"Are we going back through the same route?" Krista asked watching the horses.

"No. We'll head up the shore a little ways. Then it's pretty much a straight shoot back." The Canadian said with a yawn.

"How are your ribs?" Mikasa asked.

Canada shrugged. "Still healing and a little bit sore. They should be healed by tomorrow." He said. His ribs only ached now and weren't bothering too much.

"That's amazing! Why do you heal so quickly?" Armin asked excitedly waiting for Matthew to reply.

"As long as our land is fine we will heal quickly, but if our land or people had been affected then we don't heal well." The blond explained. "I haven't had too many bad wars on my land. I don't have too much experience with it."

"Can you still catch a cold?" Sasha asked.

Canada looked over to Prussia who was looking back and snickering. Matthew smiled and rolled his eyes. "We can, but it's pretty hard too."

"Can you die?" Jean asked bluntly.

"We can, but we're not really sure how." Canada shrugged.

"My vater, not really my vater; none of us are actually related by blood. He died." Gilbert said sitting up. "One day he just disappeared. Ve don't know if it vas because he didn't have land anymore or just faded from memory. In either case ve should have died avhile ago, but ve clearly haven't."

"Clearly. You can't die from injury? Or drowning?" Mikasa asked.

"It's never happened before. We just kind of pass out if the damage is really bad and go into a healing state." Canada explained.

"How come that didn't happen to you?" Connie asked.

"My injuries weren't too bad." The Canadian shrugged. "It only really happens if there is internal damage or if there are a lot of broken bones or cuts."

"Was your medical technology more advanced?" Armin asked.

"In a way, yes. We were starting to invent ways to heal people without opening them up. Little robots that could heal internal damage as well as kill diseased cells." Canada explained. "But at the same time these were things being made more and more diseases were coming about. We were kinda stuck."

"What was your favourite thing that doesn't exist anymore?" Eren asked.

"Joutube." Prussia said quickly. "Or the Internet in general."

"Internet?" Sasha asked absentmindedly.

"It vas a network that connected people all over the world." Prussia explained. "It vas a good vay to communicate."

"Although it was used more for memes than anything." Matthew grumbled.

"That vas the best part." Gilbert laughed. Matthew rolled his eyes. "I already know Birdie's favourite."

"Of course you do." The Canadian said. "I talked about them before. Mine is airplanes or skimmers. Both were amazing."

"The big metal birds?" Eren asked and Canada nodded. "Flying would be a lot cooler than talking to people."

"Meh, both vere amazing and vill hopefully come back one day." Prussia shrugged. "It's getting late. Ve don't need to get up early, but ve do need sleep."

"Okay. Are we doing watches again?" Krista asked with a yawn.

"Yes. Titans don't seem to like the saltwater and don't tend to come down here, but we should still keep watch just in case." Matthew said.

"Right. I'll take a watch." Mikasa said. "Where should we sit?"

"How about that tree?" Connie said pointing to one of the trees on the very edge of the tree line.

"That vill vork." Prussia said.

"I'll take watch as well." Jean said quickly. Mikasa nodded and stood up. "Who's up after us?"

"I will." Eren said.

"I will too." Connie said with a yawn.

The scouts stood up and put their dishes away before going to their sleeping bags. Everyone was spaced out in pairs and trios around the fire. Canada and Prussia walked over to their sleeping bags. The blond took his jacket off and laid it over his pack. He sat down on his sleeping bag and pulled the covers up. Gilbert did the same, but kept his jacket on.

"It's chilly out." The albino said scooching closer to Matthew. "How are jour ribs?"

"Almost healed. They should be fully tomorrow." Matthew said as Gilbert wrapped his arms around his waist.

"Healed enough to cuddle?" Prussia asked with an innocent face.

"Always."


	11. Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven

 

**AN:  Anyone watched Letterkenny?**

 

The next morning Matthew was awake before Gilbert. The sun warmed his face and he yawned. There was no pain from his ribs; they must have fully healed overnight. The Canadian didn't want to move and wake Gilbert. The albino had his arms wrapped loosely around Canada's waist and his chin resting on the top of his head.

Matthew was happy to lay there all morning, half asleep, listening to the sounds around him. Seagulls were calling to each other off in the distance, waves lapped at the shore, but he focused the most on Prussia's breathing. It was calming to listen to the even breaths.

The Canadian wasn't sure how long he listened to Gilbert before he heard Eren and Connie's footsteps coming back to camp. Prussia's breath changed and he shifted. The albino's arms wrapped tighter around his waist and he pulled him closer.

"How long have jou been awake?" Prussia asked with a yawn.

"Not long." Canada lied stretching his legs out.

Gilbert threw his covers off himself and they landed on top of Matthew. The albino sat up and stretched while Matthew grumbled and turned over pulling the covers over his head. He had been awake for a while, but that didn't mean he wanted to get up.

"How are jour ribs?" Prussia asked leaning over and pulling the covers down far enough to see the blonds face.

"Healed." Canada grumbled pulling the blankets back over his head. Gilbert laughed and stood up. The nation moved the covers enough for him to see where Prussia was going.

The albino went over to the fire pit where a few embers were still smouldering. He grabbed a few small branches from the pile the younger scouts had gathered the night before and brought the fire back to life. A few of the other scouts had started to move as the smell of fire and food.

"It's a little bit chilly out." Connie commented.

"It vill varm up before noon." Gilbert said warming his hands by the fire. He watched the soup he was currently warming up closely.

Matthew sat up and yawned. He stretched before standing up and lazily walking over to the fire. The blond sat down in the sand next to Prussia.

"Morning sleeping beauty." Gilbert said as Matthew sat down next to him and rested his head on his shoulder.

"Smells really good." The Canadian said. All of the scouts were up now and waiting for breakfast. After a few minutes of quietly talking among each other Prussia served the soup.

"So, what are we doing today?" Jean asked in between mouthfuls.

"I would love to go swimming." Connie said.

"We could go spear fishing. I packed a couple of spearheads. We'd just need to make the pole." The younger nation said. "That won't take too long."

"Fish! We can eat them!" Sasha said excitedly. "What kind of fish are in the ocean?"

"Nothing jou've ever eaten." Prussia said finishing his breakfast and setting his dishes down.

"It's a bit of a dive." Matthew said. "The good fish stay close to the cliffs and pretty deep down."

"As long as we get some it doesn't matter." Sasha said. She was practically drooling thinking about the fish.

After about an hour Matthew had found enough branches that would work for the spears pole. He shaved down the ends with a small survival knife they had brought along and attached the head to it. There weren't enough spears for everyone they were four short.

"Ready?" Canada asked standing up. The scouts nodded and jumped up. "We'll walk down to the cliffs before we go in. Please don't drown, stab yourselves or each other. Stay semi close to each other, just in case. One or two people should stay at the surface at all times."

"I'll stay here and prep the fish as jou catch them." Gilbert said plopping down next to the cliff in the shade. Matthew nodded. He knew that water and sun weren't the Prussian's favourite things.

"I'll help you." Jean said looking at the water.

"Me too!" Sasha said handing her spear off to Eren. She wanted to be close to the food.

Matthew stepped into the water. It had a slight chill to it, but wasn't anything he couldn't handle. The other scouts followed him into the water. After a couple of meters the sand changed into rock.

"It drops off here." Canada said. They were about waist high in water. The rocks ended making the water about eight meters or deeper. "Be careful." He said stepping off the edge.

"Wow, its deep here." Krista said looking down as she treaded water.

"What fish should we go after?" Eren asked looking at the small schools of fish.

"It doesn't really matter." The Canadian said. "Catch what you're going to eat."

Eren nodded and dived down. Matthew watched the trainees carefully making sure that they weren't getting into any trouble. Mikasa was the first one to come up with a fish, Armin soon after. They swam back to shore and gave their fish to Prussia.

After a while Canada was satisfied that the other scouts could swim and dived down himself. The edges of the cliffs made a giant horseshoe shaped valley where there was sand with coral, plants and rocks were fish were swimming.

Matthew stayed close to the bottom and started to turn over rocks. He wasn't looking for fish, but oysters or clams. He found a few of all different species, but didn't have enough air left to stay. He pushed off the bottom and kicked to the surface before diving again. He collected an armful and surfaced again.

"What are those things?" Krista asked coming up with an empty spear.

"They're oysters and clams." The Canadian said swimming back up onto the ledge and standing up. "They just sit around the rocks at the bottom." He explained.

"Do you want to switch? I'll look for those things and you take my spear? I'm not very good at it." Krista asked.

The nation nodded as he took what he was carrying to shore. Krista was still waiting when he got back. She handed him her spear. She thanked him and dived back into the deep water. Canada looked for the other scouts to make sure they were okay before diving down again.


	12. Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve

**AN: I haven't read before the fall. So things might be a little off. Shouldn't be any spoilers for it.**

Matthew resurfaced with another fish on the end of his spear. He started back towards the shore as Connie came up with a fish.

He caught up to the blonde. "How are you so good at this? How can you stay under so long? Is that a nation thing?" He asked as they walked up to the shore.

"I've had a bit of practice." Canada said remembering his younger days. "Had some training for breathing methods. Not really meant for water, but it works."

"Some? That's a little bit of an understatement Birdie." Prussia said taking his spear and pulling the fish off. Matthew smiled. "Jou've got a lot of random talents."

"Breathing methods?" Sasha asked overhearing their conversation. "Does that mean you can breathe under water?"

Canada quickly shook his head. "That would be cool, but no."

"Ve should only catch a few more fish." Gilbert said. "Ve don't want to have too much left over."

The Canadian nodded and told Connie to stay in. He went back out into the ocean to tell the other scouts to stay in once they caught had their last fish and make sure everyone was safe. Eren and Armin were just coming back as he was walking out. He told them to stay in as well. Only Krista and Mikasa were still in the water. Matthew sat in the water on the edge of the ledge waiting for the scouts to surface.

Mikasa was the first to come up with Krista soon after. The Canadian told them what was going on as they walked back.

"There is so much life in the ocean. It's beautiful." Armin said smiling and looking back at the sea. "Can we go swimming again? Just swimming?"

"Of course." Matthew said. "We won't need any more fish, but we can still go swimming."

"When are we leaving tomorrow?" Jean asked.

"Around two." Canada said. "We'll be heading up the coast then cutting back across to the wall."

"There von't be any time to go swimming tomorrow. Ve'll need to pack and get the horses." Gilbert said.

"I wish we could stay longer." Krista sighed.

"I wish we could live out here." Eren said. "There's plenty of food and we haven't seen any Titans since yesterday."

"It would be nice to live out here." Matthew said with a smile. "But it would be really tough in the winter."

-❄"Nathan Drake? More like Nathan Brake!"❄-

"This fish tastes amazing!" Sasha said savoring every bite. Matthew and Gilbert had just finished cooking and called the trainees over to eat. The younger scouts had swum for the rest of the day. "Can we bring some back?!" She asked excitedly.

"It would go bad before we got back." Armin said and Matthew nodded.

"What about the oysters or clams?" Sasha asked hopefully.

"If ve could keep them cold, but ve have no way too." Prussia said. Sasha sighed sadly looking over her meal before starting to eat again. "Ve can keep some for breakfast.

"Why can't we find these kinds of fish inside of the walls?" Mikasa asked.

"These fish only live in salt water. There a few fish that can live in both, but they stay in the rivers close to the coast." Matthew explained. "It's good to see quite a few of the species are still around. Close to the time the titans came some of them were near extinction because of over fishing."

"How many people were there back then?" Jean asked.

"About seven billion, it vas getting close to eight." Prussia said. The younger scouts looked surprised at such a high number.

"That's a lot of people." Armin said. "What happened to them all?"

"Some of them got into the walls, but others were left out. Some just seemed to disappear." The Canadian said with a frown. "Not everyone was on this continent. There were people across the ocean as well. We don't really know what happened to them. There could be another set of walls over there."

"Did you guys have kids?" Connie asked.

Prussia shook his head. "Ve veren't at home often enough."

"We used to have to attend world meeting every month that countries would take turns hosting. Sometimes we'd have to stay for a couple of days. It got to the point what there was one every two weeks." Canada explained. "We'd just get home and settle in and we'd have to fly out again."

"Where did you live?" Krista asked.

"Not too far away from here." Matthew said. "Up north and inland a bit."

"Did you have regular jobs?" Eren asked. By now everyone had finished their meal.

"I vorked for my brothers government." Prussia said. "Most nations vork and are paid by their government."

"I was the same. I worked for my government and occasionally my Air Force when they needed it." The blond said.

"When did you join the scouts?" Mikasa asked.

"Before 3dmg was invented." Matthew said running a hand through his hair. "It's been quite a while."

"Did you get to use the old models?" Armin asked.

"I vas the guinea pig for some of them." Gilbert said. "I vas not very good at first."

"You were terrible!" Matthew said with a laugh.

The blond remembered one of the first times Prussia used the gear. They were just outside a small village surrounded by a forest that was inside wall Maria. The inventor, Angel, quickly explained how to use it and Gilbert was off. The first few times he tried to get into the air he smacked face first into a tree. It took him a while to get used to how the gear worked and what he could and couldn't do with it. By nightfall of the first day the albino had been able to stay up for a couple seconds.

"You didn't have any training? They just let you go and figure it out on your own?" Krista asked worriedly. "Didn't you hurt yourself?"

Prussia scratched the back of his neck. "Nope, no training. I didn't get hurt at first. Just a few bruises, but I stared to get more adventuresses. That's vhen I started to break a lot of bones."

"How was your first time with the gear?" Eren asked Canada.

"When I first used it was a lot further along in development. I had enough time watching Gil to sort of figure out how it worked. Let's just say watching and actually doing it was very different." Matthew said with a nervous smile.

**AN: Is it just me or is Wattpad kinda dead? I haven't had anything in my library update in like months! Kinda the same with fanfiction and ao3…**


	13. Chapter Thriteen

Chapter Thirteen

"Who's taking first watch?" Matthew asked. They had talked for about an hour after sunset and it was fairly late. "I will, but who's coming with me?"

"I vill Birdie." Gilbert said stretching and standing up. Canada nodded and stood up as well. "I haven't yet, so it's my turn."

"We'll take the second watch." Krista said Armin nodded.

"Okay." Matthew said. "Make sure to get some sleep. We need to pack and get ready in the morning."

The older scouts headed towards the tree line and started to climb one of the taller trees. They had to use their 3dmg to get to the lower branches, but after they were able to climb further. Once the Canadian thought that they were high enough up, he picked a nice branch and sat down facing the ocean. He moved over enough for Prussia to sit on the same branch.

"I miss this." Canada said looking around. The moon was high in the sky and its light lit up the waves making them look silver.

"Ja." Gilbert sighed. Matthew rested his head on the albinos shoulder.

"What would you think about living out here again?" The blond asked biting his lip.

"I vouldn't mind it." Prussia said. "It vould be nice to stay out here."

"Permanently or?" Canada asked thinking about the possibilities.

"Vell, it vould be good to keep on the militaries good side so ve could get supplies or if ve ever vanted to live inside the valls again." Prussia said.

Matthew nodded in agreement. "There are still people up north. I'd like to go up there."

"Knowing Erwin, as soon as ve say vere going up there he'll want to set up a line of communication." Prussia said with a smile. Matthew laughed. "Or be won't let us go at all."

"I don't want to be running back and forth. I want to settle some were and stay. Except for the occasional supply run if we need it." The blond said. "He can't stop us, but he can definitely slow us down."

"I definitely agree. I'm too old to be running around like that." Gilbert said with a smirk.

Canada rolled his eyes. "Much too old." He said sarcastically. Prussia laughed and kissed his cheek.

-❄"You are a human with one life and it's up to you to make it the best life you can."❄-

After a couple of more hours of sitting in the tree and talking they started to climb down. Matthew was a little more daring when it came to heights than Gilbert. He would hang off a branch and let himself drop before grabbing one and dropping again. The albino was a lot more careful.

Once they got to the bottom the couple started off towards camp. The fire had become embers that glowed slightly. Matthew went over to wake Armin and Gilbert went to wake Krista. Both of the younger blonds were groggy when they woke up, but started off towards the tree line.

Canada took off his gear and jacket before flopping down on his sleeping bag. The night was fairly chilly, but not too cold. Prussia did the same and pulled the covers over both of them. The blond scooted closer and Gilbert warped his arms around him. Matthew tucked his head under the albino's chin.

"Night Birdie." Prussia kissed his forehead. Matthew hummed happily as he started to fall asleep.

-❄"I'm fine with Internet communication; it's just the real life I have problems with!"❄-

The next morning, Prussia was up right away at sunset. Canada was woken up when the albino got up and was mildly annoyed at the loss of a pillow and warmth, but he just rolled over and covered his head with the blankets. It didn't take him long to fall back asleep.

A couple of hours later Canada blinked groggily awake. The sun shone in the sky and he winced at the brightness. The nation threw the covers off and sat up rubbing his eyes.

"Morning Birdie." Prussia called over his shoulder when he heard the blankets rustle. The blond ran a hand through his hair and stretched before standing up. He walked over to Prussia and sat down beside him. A few of the other scouts were up, but they were playing in the ocean. The albino was cutting up some of the potatoes they brought with them for breakfast.

"Let me help." Canada said.

Gilbert handed him potato and fished out another knife from his saddle bags. "Are jou awake enough?" He asked jokingly.

Matthew smiled and took the knife from him. He started to peel potatoes while Gilbert cut them up. More of the scouts started to stir and get up. Armin and Krista were the last two to move.

The Canadian started to fry the potatoes as Gilbert roasted the rest of the fish. Sasha came over almost immediately smelling the food. She offered to help and Prussia handed the fish to her. After a couple more minutes the fish and potatoes were done cooking and Prussia called the other scouts over to eat.

"How much longer can we stay here?" Armin asked a few minutes into breakfast.

Matthew looked up at the sun to see what time it was. "Maybe another two hours." The younger scout's faces fell. "I wish we could stay longer, but we do need to get back to the walls on time."

"Ve need to pack. Then jou can go for another swim if you want." Prussia said. The younger scouts looked a little bit happier.

**AN: Why do I keep falling back into dead fandoms, ughhh.**


	14. Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fourteen

The scouts had finished packing and started to call for their horses. Matthew whistled and Spitfire came charging from the forest. She skidded to a stop in front of him sending sand flying everywhere. She whinnied and reared up before trotting the rest of the way to Canada.

"Hey girlie." He smiled petting her neck. He slipped the bridle over her head and lead her over to where he her saddle. The Canadian looked back over to where the other scouts were still calling their horses. Krista and Jean's horses had just come out of the forest and Connie was already leading his over.

Matthew picked up the saddle and put it on Spitfire's back. She watched him as he did up the buckles and made sure they were tight. Once he was sure everything was ready to go the blond started to pack up the rest of his things. After a few minutes the other scouts were doing the same.

"I don't want to leave!" Sasha complained as she packed her stuff.

"Same, but we don't have enough supplies to stay another day." Eren said with a sigh as he picked up his saddle bags and put them on to his horse.

"We could come back?" Krista suggested as she finished packing.

"That would be awesome! We could pack enough supplies to stay longer." Armin said excitedly. "I would bring a journal next time."

"Ve vill have to see what Erwin says." Gilbert said sitting in the sun warmed sand. He had already finished packing and was looking at the ocean.

"Does it really matter what Erwin says?" Jean asked confidently. "Why would you, 'immortal' nations, even bother with Erwin or the scouts?"

Canada was surprised for a second. He knew that Jean was pretty forward, but not that much. "We wanted to help humanity. The scouts seemed to be the best way to help out. I didn't want to just be sitting around and doing nothing like a lot of other nations. I've always been that way." He explained. "We need Erwin's permission and the scouts gear and supplies to go outside the walls. Without him we'd be stuck, we can't just climb the wall and jump down without anything."

"Ve do butt heads vith him often, but ve have no other vay to get outside the walls unfortunately." Prussia sighed picking up his saddle bags and putting them on his horse. "Ve could bribe someone to open the gate, but we'd probably be unable to get back in"

"You guys and Erwin don't get along? What about Captain Levi?" Eren asked surprised.

"We don't really see eye to eye with Erwin on a lot of things. We don't see Levi too often, he's not really a people person, but he's okay." Matthew shrugged. He really didn't want to go into too much detail. "Enough talking about this. You said you wanted to swim before we leave," He looked at the sun to tell the time. "You've got about an hour."

The younger scouts jumped up and put their stuff away and ran to the ocean. Prussia came back over and sat next to Canada. The blond leaned into his side and rested his head on the albino's shoulder.

"I hope that Erwin will let us go." Canada said with a sigh.

"If he doesn't ve could bait until he's gone?" Prussia suggested. "Or ve could bring it in front of a counsel, maybe even the king."

"One way or another we'll get it eventually." The blond hummed. "It's just a matter of time."

"Hope so." Gilbert said resting his head on top of Matthew's

"Oh! I forgot to tell you, I think I saw Alfred." The Canadian said excitedly. "Just as we were leaving the walls."

"Haven't seen Al in a long time. Vonder vhat he's been up to?" The albino muttered. "Haven't seen anybody in a long time."

"I think I'll go and see if I can find him when we get back." Matthew said.

"Can I come vith jou?" Prussia asked looking over.

"Is that even a question?" The blond said with a smile. He took Gilbert's hand and intertwined their fingers. "Of course."

Over the next hour it started to get colder. The wind picked up a little and it rustled through the trees. Canada looked around, but he didn't see any clouds. He knew that there was a storm coming. The blond and stood up called the scouts back in.

"It's getting cold." Eren commented and he put his jacket back on.

"It's going to rain or snow." Matthew said. "We need to get moving."

It took the scouts a few minutes to finish the last little bit of packing they had left. Everyone checked over they're horses to make sure everything was snug and the horses were healthy and ready to go.

They mounted up and started to move up north. The huge rock wall beside the ocean shielded them from the wind as they went around it, but when they passed it the wind hit them full force. It was cold and misty with sea water. Matthew pulled his hood up and wished he brought a scarf.

In front of them the sand stretched out for miles, to their left was more huge redwood trees. Among the trees were bushes, shrubs and a few huge moss covered rocks.

"Cut into the trees." Matthew called over his shoulder steering Spitfire into the forest. It was much calmer, the wind was more of a breeze and barely any mist came through. The mist built up on the trees and would drip down every so often. It wasn't nearly as bad as being out in the open.

The scouts traveled through the trees for a couple hours. They could hear titans among the trees, but avoided them as best as they could. There were a few close calls, but they were able to out run them.

"What's that stuff?" Armin asked pulling his horse to a stop and pointing at the ground.

**AN: Sorry for the lateish post. I'm going to be working on Sundays for the most part and the chapters could be a day late/early or a few hours late.**


	15. Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen

"What's that stuff?" Armin asked pulling his horse to a stop and pointing at the ground. Matthew paused and went over to were Armin was and looked at what he was pointing at. The nation laughed and dismounted his horse. He picked up the object and brushed the dirt off it.

"This is a cell phone, an older one though." Canada said holding it up. It was rusty and had a few dents.

"Not surprised that thing survived." Prussia said. "Those kind vere almost indestructible."

"That's a cell phone?" Krista asked surprised. "It's so small!"

"This is a bigger one. They got thinner over the years." Canada said.

"That's the thing that lets you talk to people without being next to them?" Armin said with an inquisitive look in his eyes. Matthew passed the phone over to him. He turned it over in his hands looking at every detail. "Why are there numbers?"

"Jou'd put a series of numbers into the phone and it vould call someone. Each series of numbers belonged to a different person." Prussia explained. "Jou need somebody's number to call them."

"That must have been annoying, having to remember all those numbers." Jean said scratching his head.

"The phone saved the numbers. We didn't have to remember them." The blond explained. The phone had made it around to all the scouts and back to Matthew. He put it into his saddle bag and climbed back onto Spitfire and they started off again.

"How far are we going?" Mikasa asked.

"Not too much farther, a few more kilometres north them we'll head back east." The Canadian said.

After about another hour of traveling, Canada spotted a few rusted metal I beams sticking up out of the forest floor. Matthew knew that they were close to what used to be Vancouver. Another few steps and the horses hooves started to click on concrete and forest opened up to decayed moss covered buildings. Nature had taken over the skyscrapers and cars. The wind had died down enough that it wasn't picking up the sea water anymore and there were a few clear patches in the sky.

"Was this a city?" Eren asked looking up at the moss covered buildings. There were birds and animals living among the ruins. They could also hear the groaning and stomping of titans in the distance.

"It used to be." The Canadian said continuing down the street. He didn't want to stay around here too long, something felt off. He knew that they couldn't travel too much farther before it was dark; they planned on stopping soon. They went for a couple more blocks before turning east.

The scouts traveled inland for a few kilometres before finding a nice building that was still almost fully intact. The only things that were missing were windows that had most likely been blown out by wind and a door that had just eroded away. It looked like it used to be a store. They made camp inside the building. It was the perfect size for them. They left the horses to wander around outside.

"Jou okay?" Prussia asked Canada quietly as they unpacked. The younger scouts had gone to explore the upper floors.

The blond had spaced out and jumped at the sound of Gilbert's voice. "What?" He asked. Prussia repeated the question. "I'm fine. Somethings off though, I'm not sure what. It's probably nothing."

"If jou say so. Is it a titan?" Gilbert asked and Matthew shrugged. The younger scouts came back down the stairs talking among themselves.

"We can get up to the roof by those stairs. It's perfect for night watch." Eren said jumping off the last stair. The other scouts walked down normally.

"Good. Ve'll have supper up there." Gilbert said gathering up their cooking supplies.

"I'll find some rocks and wood." Krista said heading for the door.

"I'll go with you." Canada said moving to follow the blonde. Mikasa and Jean jumped to help as well while the others followed Gilbert upstairs. Finding rocks was easy among the moss, but it was harder to find logs. It took them a little while, but they were able to scrounge up enough.

The scouts went back to the building and started to set up the fire pit. The food was prepared and ready to cook when they had finished setting up the fire pit. Matthew cooked while Gilbert told the trainees stories and explained more about how cell phones worked.

"Supper!" The nation called getting everyone's attention. He served everyone before serving himself. They ate quietly and when they were finished Jean spoke up.

"Can you sum up all of human history in five words?" Jean asked setting his plate down.

"We fucked up, really bad." Canada said biting his lip.

Jean raised an eyebrow. "How?"

"We were messing up the planet with all our technology. A lot of them released gases that harmed the environment. If humans had kept going the way they were, our planet wouldn't be able to support life." Canada shrugged.

"Humans really screwed up the planet. Vith out us it vould have been a lot better off." Prussia said.

"In all honesty, without the titans, humans would have probably killed themselves by global warming or each other with wars." The blond said. "In a way, they saved humanity"

"That's a weird thing to say." Sasha said furrowing her eyebrows.

"It is." Matthew mumbled. He'd never actually thought about it that way.

"Without humans would you still be around?" Eren asked.

Gilbert shrugged. "Vho knows? Ve don't really know vhy vere here in the first place. None of us know if our existence revolves around just humans."

"Are you born like a human?" Mikasa asked.

"No, we just show up. We do age to a certain point though. We don't have biological parents; we do have adopted families though. None of us are related by blood." Canada said.

"How old are you guys exactly?" Connie asked.

"I'm around nine hundred? I think." The Canadian said quickly doing some math in his head.

"You're old!" Sasha said surprised. Matthew laughed at the expression on her face. "You said you were old, but I didn't think that old."

"He's older than me." Canada said sticking a finger in Prussia's direction.

"Yup, by a couple hundred years." Gilbert snickered. "Ve're as old as dirt."

"No, China was as old as dirt. He was over a couple thousand years old when I was little!" Matthew said with a laugh.

**AN: Sorry for the later post. I am currently drowning in the Starsky and Hutch fandom.**


	16. Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Sixteen

"Do you guys have any questions? We haven't really taught you much of history." Canada asked. It was a little bit later in the evening, but it wasn't quite dark.

"Start from the beginning, tell us everything in more than five words." Armin said with a hint of a smile.

"I guess I'll start, since I'm older." Prussia said going right into early medieval times. He went through the crusades and into the aftermath. He continued through history up until Archduke Franz Ferdinand was killed.

Canada had nothing to say until the discovery of North America. He explained the first time he had met the European settlers and Jacques Cartier. He told memories of the early days of settlers and later how the English took over from the French as well as what had happened to his native people. He explained how his brother had to fight against his father for his independence and then how he fought against his brother in 1812. The nations had told history up until the time of World War I.

"That's enough for tonight. It's getting late." Prussia said with a yawn. The fire they had started was nothing, but embers now.

"I'll take first watch." Jean said stretching.

"I will too." Canada said.

"You were up last night; I can take your place." Krista piped up.

Matthew shook his head. "It's okay, I'm not tired." He said with a smile.

"If you're sure?" Krista asked and the nation nodded. "Okay."

After they decided that Sasha and Mikasa would be on watch next, the scouts got up and started to head down the stairs. Prussia gave the Canadian a kiss on the cheek before leaving. Jean was sitting on the edge of the building his feet hanging over the edge. Matthew walked over and stood next to him.

The nation looked around, sharp eyes scanning for titans. He could still see the ocean in the distance. He didn't spot any that were close enough to worry about. It was dark and cold; the titans wouldn't be too active. The Canadian still couldn't shake the bad feeling he had earlier. He sighed and sat down cross-legged next to Jean.

"You seem tense. Something up?" Jean asked looking up at the sky. There were clouds covering the moon, but some silver light still shone through.

"The sky." Matthew said. Jean laughed dryly. "No, everything is fine. Just watching for titans."

-❄"Do you stop believing in the moon when the sun come up?"❄-

The next morning Prussia was up first as usual. He sent Sasha and Mikasa downstairs to get a little sleep before breakfast. Canada woke up next, but he stayed in their sleeping bag for a while. The sun started to shine through the broken windows into his eyes.

Matthew groaned and covered his eyes. He sat up and ran his hands through his hair. He got up and put his scout jacket on; there was a chill in the air. He started up the stairs to the roof. The albino was already prepping for breakfast sitting close to the edge of the roof. None of the younger scouts were up yet.

"Morning Gil." The blond greeted sitting down next to his fiancé.

"Hallo Birdie." He smiled and kissed Canada's cheek. "You're up early today."

Matthew hummed and nodded. He was still a little bit groggy. His eyes scanned over the ruined city. There were a few titans stumbling about in his line of sight. None were too close to worry about yet. The sun was shining through a small gap in the thick clouds.

"Mind going to get the kids?" Prussia asked as he finished up the prep. He got up and went over to the fire pit and relit it.

"They're not really kids." Matthew said rolling onto his feet.

"No they're not, but compared to us they are." Prussia said with a smirk. "Anyone compared to us are kids."

"Very true." The blond said starting down the stairs. A few of the younger scouts were already sitting up or getting ready while others were just waking up. "Breakfast will be ready in a few minutes."

Sasha jumped out of her sleeping bag and quickly got dressed before running up the stairs past Canada. The others went at a more reasonable pace. Breakfast was quick and fairly quiet, the scouts talked amongst themselves.

"I really want pancakes. I'm bored of potatoes." Matthew sighed poking at his leftovers.

"I vill never get board of potatoes!" Prussia snickered stealing some off of Canada's plate. "But pancakes sound pretty good right now." The blond just handed the other nation his plate.

Once everyone was finished they packed up and readied their horses. They made absolutely sure that the fire was put out before leaving. The scouts continued down the crumbled city street. Matthew scanned the buildings as they moved. He still had that bad feeling and the further they traveled into the city the worse it got.

The Canadian's eyes were constantly shifting watching for any threat. "Somethings not right." He said watching as a flock of birds suddenly flew off the top of a building.

"Vell that's ominous." Gilbert said pulling his horse to a stop. Everyone stopped their horses as well.

"Titan?" Mikasa asked.

"Don't know, but let's keep moving." Canada said anxiously. He urged Spitfire into a gallop. As they ran past a building a small titan started to follow them. It wasn't very quick and easily fell behind.

The scouts pulled their horses to a stop as a shadowy figure stepped out from behind a building and walked to the street. The young man had a familiar face, but Matthew couldn't quite put his finger on where he knew him from. Canada looked over his shoulder to the younger scouts whose faces were a mix of surprise and anger. He looked back and the face finally clicked.


	17. Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen

**AN: No spoilers in this avoided using names.**

"To the left! Hurry!" Canada yelled recognizing the person as a threat. He knew that the street looped around. He kicked Spitfire into a gallop making sure the younger scouts were following him. "I'll keep the back. I can find them if someone gets lost." Matthew said and Gilbert nodded.

Canada slowed Spitfire down and moved to the back of the pack. There was a bright flash that blinded him for a moment. Then there was a loud crash behind them as the armoured titan ran through a building. The armoured titan watched them as they ran before it started chasing after them. It quickly gained on them until it was practically breathing down their necks. They weren't going to be able to out run it.

"No!" Mikasa yelled as Eren bit his hand. He transformed into his titan and stood ready to fight. Mikasa jumped off her horse and tethered to a nearby building. The other scouts skidded to a stop, but Mikasa yelled something that Canada didn't quite catch and the scouts started off again. Matthew jumped off Spitfire and latched onto the building next to Mikasa.

"Keep going. I can take care of Eren." Mikasa said.

Matthew shook his head. "I know you can, but you don't know you're way around out here."

Mikasa looked a little bit put off, but thought it through and nodded. Eren braced for the armoured titan as it charged at him. It slammed into him and sent the wild titan flying back. The armoured titan jumped on top of Eren and started punching him. Eren put his arms up to block his face and push back at the same time.

The Canadian pushed off the building and swung over to the other side of the street. He was looking for an opening to injure the armoured titan. Eren let out a loud roar and pushed the armoured titan off him. He had somehow managed to get his feet up to kick him off. Eren rolled onto his feet and grabbed the armoured titan and pinned him against the building Mikasa was on. It shook and crumbled around the titans as they fought. The younger scout jumped off the building as it broke apart and hooked into the neighbouring building.

The wild titan had the armoured titan's arms pinned above its head in the rubble and roared in its face. The armoured titan managed to get an arm free and grabbed a piece of the rubble. He smashed Eren over the head with it and pushed the smaller titan off. The armoured Titan stood over a stunned Eren and paused for a moment giving Mikasa and Matthew an opening.

Mikasa quickly went for the nape, but her blades broke on the armour around the nape and only left a small cut. The armoured titan was still standing over Eren and was ignoring the scouts. The Canadian saw an opportunity and acted upon it. He pushed off the building and hooked into the back of the armour titans' neck. He reeled in and slashed into the flesh of the nape. The flesh on the armoured titan's nape was thick and leathery.

Matthew's blades broke off and were stuck in the nape as he jumped away. He gritted his teeth and checked his gas. He had just over half a tank left. Canada looked over to the armoured titan, its nape was steaming as the small cuts they had made healed over, blades still stuck in the flesh. He wasn't liking their odds of winning this fight.

The armoured titan reached to its neck and pulled the blades out. It turned to Canada and looked at him curiously before throwing the blades at him. He swung out of the way as it still followed him with its eyes. Matthew kept the armoured titan's attention by moving and jumping between buildings as Eren quietly got back to his feet.

The smaller titan crept up behind the armoured titan and wrapped his arms around the armoured titan's neck and got him into a head-lock. The armoured titan was surprised for a second before he started to fight back by jabbing his elbow into Eren's ribs. Eren let out a roar and held tighter moving one of his arms higher and clawing at the armoured titan's eyes.

The armoured titan let out a strangled cry and finally broke free of Eren's hold. He covered his eyes with his hands and growled in Eren's direction. Mikasa was about to attack the armoured titan again, but Canada stopped her.

"Save your supplies." He said. "Our blades won't cut deep enough."

Mikasa nodded and started to climb up the side of the building. Matthew followed her up and crouched on the edge of the roof. He watched as both titan stood opposite of each other. The armoured titans eyes had regenerated, but Eren's side and head were still steaming. They stared each other down, both looked exhausted. The armoured turned and started to run away. Eren went to chase him, but Mikasa hooked into his shoulder and yelled at him to stop.

Eren's titan collapsed as the armoured titan went out of sight. Mikasa cut Eren out of the nape and Canada jumped down from where he was still perched on the building.

"Will he be okay?" The Canadian asked crouching down beside where Mikasa laid out Eren on the ground.

"He'll be fine with some rest." Mikasa said with a sigh. A twig snapped to their left and both their heads snapped up. They saw three shadowy figures passing by a broken window. One of them paused in the light long enough for them to get a look at their face. Matthew blinked in confusion; the man looked a lot like him.


	18. Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Eighteen

Matthew watched curiously as the people kept moving until they were out of sight. They didn't seem to want to attack the scouts so he didn't really care where they were going. Mikasa watched the people move with a frown, but also didn't make a move to follow them.

"We need to start moving and find the others." Canada said straightening from his crouch. Mikasa nodded and the Canadian whistled for their horses. Spitfire came right away trotting out from behind a building. Eren's horse came a few moments later, but Mikasa's horse was nowhere in sight. "We'll have to make due with two horses."

The younger scout nodded. "Eren can ride with me." She said standing up holding Eren bridal style. The titan shifter was still out cold. She handed him over to Matthew and climbed onto her horse. The blond passed the teen up to her and she lifted him with ease. Mikasa carefully placed Eren in front of her. "Where are we going?" She asked.

The nation mounted Spitfire and searched his land. "They're not too far ahead. We'll find them by morning." Canada said starting Spitfire into a trot. Mikasa stayed right beside him. After about an hour of travel they were at the edge of the city.

Eren had started to stir, but only fully woke up a few minutes later. "Is everyone okay?" His voice was hoarse.

"Everyone is fine." Mikasa said. She immediately went in to scolding him for changing when Erwin specifically said not to. Eren just sat and listened not making any attempt to say otherwise until she was finished.

"I think I made the right decision. Yes I went against orders, but the armoured titan would have gained on us." He said quietly. "I didn't want what happened to Levi's squad to happen again."

Matthew listened quietly not having anything to say about it. He understood Eren's reasons and didn't blame him for transforming. The elder scout was focusing on pinpointing where they others were. He could tell that they weren't too far ahead.

-❄"Never trust anyone too much; remember the devil was once an angel."❄-

"Where are we going?" Krista asked a stressed look on her face.

"There's a river just ahead if my memory is right." Prussia said slowing his horse to a walk and checking over his shoulder to make sure everyone was still there. After a few more steps a small river appeared and Gilbert sighed in relief. "Ve'll stop here for the night."

Prussia dismounted and lead his horse to the water. A few of the others followed his actions while others just dismounted and sat or laid down in the damp grass. The albino let his horse drink and sat down on the river bank.

"So you think they're okay?" Sasha asked worriedly. "What if they're hurt? Or get split up?"

"I'm sure they're okay. Birdie can easily find people in his land." Gilbert said calmly. He knew that he need to keep a grounded facade on the outside to assure the other scouts, but on the inside he was worried. He knew Canada would be able to find them, but if he was too injured or even dead he wouldn't be able to. The nations weren't too sure about their immortality anymore. Without Matthew, Gilbert had nothing to live for.

"What if they're not here tonight? Will we still leave tomorrow?" Armin asked from where he was sitting in the grass.

"Ve vill stay here until midday tomorrow. Ve don't have enough supplies left to stay for a full day." The albino said standing up and starting to unpack. The other scouts followed Prussia's actions and started to unpack as well.

-❄"Don't be stupid, stupid!"❄-

"How much further?" Eren asked stretching and almost falling off the back of the horse. Mikasa and him had switched positions so that she was steering the horse and Eren sat behind her.

"Not too long." Canada sighed. The sun had gone down about an hour ago and the forest was dark. The only light was a few moonbeams that shone through the canopy. They had to go slower in the darkness to avoid trees as well as sleeping titans.

"You said that an hour ago." Eren complained with and exasperated sigh. "Do you know where we're going?"

"Yep." Matthew said. He could see a fairly bright light in the distance. He recognized it as a fire and smiled. The blond sighed in relief and pointed at the light. "There."

"Finally." Eren sighed happily seeing the light. He was tired from the fight and couldn't wait to fall asleep. Canada and Mikasa were both tired as well, but more from stress than actually fighting. They still had another kilometre or so until they'd reach the rest of the group.

The Canadian was eager to see Gilbert again. It wasn't too often that they were away from each other. They had grown fairly dependent on each other. After the titans came they had lost contact with most of the nations and they only had each other. Both of the nations made a habit of not getting too close to humans anymore.

After another half hour or so, the trio rode into camp. Some of the scouts had gone to sleep, but Armin, Gilbert, Jean and Krista were still awake and jumped up. Prussia ran over and pulled Canada into a kiss. Armin, Mikasa and Eren were hugging each other and yelling happily. It woke up most of the scouts and they ran over.

"Don't ever do that again." Prussia said after they pulled apart. The Canadian kept his hands locked behind Prussia's neck and the albino kept his on Canada's waist. "I missed jou so much."

"I missed you too." The blond said tucking his head in the crook of Gilbert's neck.


	19. Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Nineteen

**AN: Still no spoilers. The scouts, Prussia and Canada do know who the armoured titan is, but for the people that don't, I will not be using names.**

After a few minutes of talking they decided on watches and went to bed. The scouts where too tired to stay up longer. Armin and Jean volunteered to take the first watch and Connie and Krista would take the second.

The scouts settled down and started to fall asleep. Matthew and Gilbert were cuddled close in their sleeping bag. The blond had his head tucked under Prussia's chin and his arms lightly wrapped around his neck. Gilbert put his hands on Canada's back and pulled him closer until their bodies were pressed together. They held each other tightly for the night.

-❄"Holo from the other side."❄-

The next morning Prussia woke up early as usual, but stayed in bed, holding Canada close. They had shifted quite a bit through the night. The albino was now on his back with Matthew using him as a pillow. He watched the blond sleep; his face was completely relaxed with hair falling over his eyes. Gilbert smiled, Matthew looked adorable.

After a while of lying there watching Canada and listening to the surrounding forest, Prussia decided to get up. He tried to slide out from under Matthew, but the sleeping nation wrapped his arms around Gilbert's waist and wouldn't let him up. The blond whined and held on tight still asleep.

The Canadian was bigger than him so Prussia was at a slight disadvantage. He sighed with a smile and brushed some hair out of Matthews face lovingly. Canada's eyebrows furrowed and he rolled over off of Gilbert. The blond was a very heavy sleeper when he wanted to be.

Prussia pulled himself out of the sleeping bag and put his scout jacket on. The morning air was still cold, but the little bit of sun that shone through the trees warmed his skin. He waved up to the tree where Connie and Krista were still on watch. They noticed him and started to climb down the tree. They said good morning before going to their sleeping bags to get a little bit more rest.

The fire was still smouldering from the night before. The albino found some extra logs and slowly brought the fire back to life. He started to prep breakfast as the younger scouts started to stir. Mikasa was the first one to sit up, then Eren and Jean. Matthew rolled over and pulled the blankets over his head.

The blond got out of bed a few minutes later skipping putting his jacket on and walking over sitting next to Gilbert. He looked like he was still half asleep. Canada yawned and rested his head on Prussia's shoulder.

"Morning Birdie." The albino said. All he received as an answer was a grunt. The morning was fairly slow and breakfast was boring. There was a little bit of talk among the scouts until Connie cleared his throat.

"So, are you going to tell us what happened to the armoured titan?" Connie asked.

"Eren transformed and the armoured titan charged him. They fought, but neither won. Both of them were exhausted and the armoured titan fled." Mikasa quickly explained.

"And the armoured titan didn't go after you two?" Jean asked gesturing to Canada and Mikasa.

Both nodded, but Canada spoke. "It swung at us once. It also watched me for a while, it didn't attack though. As we went to leave, there were a few other people on the building. They didn't make a move to attack so we didn't either."

"That's weird." Armin said. "We've never seen the armoured titan display that behaviour before."

Canada nodded in agreement. "It gave Eren enough time to heal and get back up."

Once they had finished breakfast and packed up camp, the scouts traveled slowly through the forest. They watched carefully for titans and avoided them. The horses ears flicked around picking up all of the sounds of the forest. After a few hours the forest opened up into prairies.

The fields full of yellow-green went on for as far as the eye could see. The grass was blowing in the gentle wind. There were a few snowflakes flying and by the late afternoon the ground was covered in a thin layer of snow.

Prussia jumped off his horse and made a ball of snow before throwing it at Matthew. The blond expected it and leaned to the left. It flew past him and hit Jean in the chest.

"Awww, come on Birdie! Let me get one hit on jou!" Gilbert whined and the Canadian laughed. Matthew jumped down off his horse and quickly made a snowball. He threw it at the albino who tried to dodge it, but failed terribly. "No fair."

"You sound like a kid." Matthew laughed as Gilbert pouted and threw another snowball. Jean had gotten off his horse and made a huge snowball. He threw it at Prussia which knocked him on his ass. The scouts laughed and Canada walked over offering the older nation a hand up. He took it and Matthew pulled him to his feet.

The albino gave Jean the 'oh it's on face' and picked up snow. Jean started to run as Prussia chased him. Eren hopped off his horse and started to make a snowball. He threw it at Armin who was off his horse and making one as well. After a few minutes all the scouts were off their horses running around, throwing snow at each other. It had started into a full blown snow ball fight with everyone for themselves.

Jean chased Prussia and stuffed snow down the back of his shirt with an evil smile. Gilbert yelped and ran over to where Matthew was making a snow ball. He hid behind the taller nation as Jean followed him. Canada threw the snowball at the younger scout and knocked the snowball he was carrying out of his hand. Jean looked down at his hand in shock. He knew that the Canadian had good aim, but didn't expect that.

The younger scout turned and went the other way. He didn't want to go up against Canada in a snowball fight. Prussia thanked him before running off to cause more trouble. Matthew just smiled watching everyone running around and acting like kids. He looked up to the sky where there were still thick snow clouds. It was still only snowing lightly, but he could tell that the weather was going to get worse.

"Come on! Let's get moving!" Canada called gaining the scouts attention. He earned a few snowballs thrown in his direction, but everybody got back on their horses and they started traveling through the snowy prairie.

In the distance, shadows of a small cluster of trees came into view. Canada sighed knowing that they would be back inside the confinement of the walls very soon.


	20. Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty

The closer the scouts got to the trees the harder it snowed. By the time they had made it into the safety of the trees it was almost impossible to see. Canada dismounted and brushed the snow off of Spitfire's back and out of her mane and tail. He also shook the snow off himself. The trees sheltered them from the snow and the winds that had started to pick up.

"That's a blizzard." Prussia said shaking the snow out of his hair. He grabbed their supplies off the back of his horse.

"You're not kidding." Jean laughed also brushing the snow off of himself. The snow was up to just above their ankles. They started to unpack and set up camp for the night. Matthew and Sasha cooked while everyone else finished setting up camp. They finished cooking as the other scouts finished setting up.

"You guys going to finish the rest of history?" Armin asked excitedly.

"Vhere did ve leave off?" Prussia said thinking back. "Just before vorl var von, vern't ve?"

"Think so." Canada said running a hand through his hair. A few of the scouts nodded in confirmation. Gilbert started to explain how the First World War had begun. He explained the axis side of the war while Matthew explained the allied side.

"Canadians vere terrifying during the vars. They just didn't back down." The albino said shaking his head with a smile. "Ve vould stalk them and send our best soldiers to fight against them."

Once they finished telling how World War I ended they started into the roaring twenties. Canada explained how much drinking and partying there was during the twenties. He also told of how bad him and his brother had gotten. Both had become alcoholics in the years after the war. Matthew and Alfred kicked the habit fairly quickly, but Canada and America were another story.

The twin nation's people had continued to party, drink and buy stuff until they were in debt. When the stock market crashed in late October of 1929 both of the brothers had become very sick. Canada had become very ill and weak. He was stuck in his house for years. He could barely muster enough energy to get out of bed every day.

The Canadian explained to the scouts some of his day-to-day life during the depression. He'd crawl out of bed to his couch or desk and stay there until nightfall. If he had enough energy and food in the house he'd cook something before heading back to bed. That would only happen maybe once a month. Nations didn't really need to eat.

After a few years Matthew had finally started to get his energy back and was able to move around more. He was happy that he was able to go outside again. Things started to get better over the next couple of years; things had started to go back to normal.

"Where were you when he was sick?" Krista asked worriedly.

"My brother and I vere still dealing vith the aftermath of the var." Gilbert said looking down. He knew what Matthew went through and wished he could have been there for him. "Ve veren't dating yet."

"The Great Depression happened almost eighty years before we started dating." The younger nation said. Prussia started to explain the beginning of World War Two. He explained how Hitler came into power and how the allies attempt at appeasement failed. Prussia and Canada explained the two sides of the war. They hurried through most of the battles and focused mostly on the holocaust. The younger scouts were shocked at what they were told.

"We'll finish up tomorrow night." Canada said yawning and stretching. His shoulder cracked and he winced. "I'll take watch first tonight."

"I'll come vith jou Birdie." Prussia said standing up and offering Matthew a hand. The Canadian took it and Gilbert pulled him up.

"I'll watch next." Mikasa said also standing up.

"Me too." Sasha said as all the other scouts stood. Matthew and Gilbert nodded and started to climb the tree. They found a good branch and settled for the night. It was still snowing, but less so. The leaves above their head protected them from the snow but not the wind. The nations leaned against each other.

"It's vindy out tonight." The albino said hiding his face in the crook of Canada's neck.

"Hopefully it doesn't stay this way into tomorrow." Matthew said looking over the snowy planes. "I'd rather not travel in a white out."

Prussia nodded in agreement. "Ready to go back?" He asked quietly.

"Not really. Now that I'm back home, I don't want to leave." The Canadian said with a sigh. "But we need to get them back in one piece."

"Maybe on the next expedition ve could get 'lost.' That way ve avoid Erwin; the only problem vould be getting back in for supplies." Gilbert said thinking out loud.

The Canadian shrugged. "Every way will have its problems. We'll just have to work through them." He said quietly. "I'd like to find Alfred before we do anything. Maybe he knows if anyone else is still around."

"Ja." Gilbert said moving closer to the blond. He wrapped his arms around Matthews's waist and kissed his cheek. "It's cold."

"It's not too bad." The Canadian said taking his gloves off and cupping Prussia's face. The albino leaned into the warmth and sighed.

"How are jou so warm?" Gilbert hummed happily.

"I like the cold. I'd take this over heat any day." Canada said kissing Prussia on the forehead.

**AN: I was going to have Kuma show up in this chapter, but he didn't seem to fit.**


	21. Chapter Twenty One

Chapter Twenty One

The next morning the clouds had cleared and the sun was shining. It was still cold out, but warm enough that it wasn't biting.

The scouts were up fairly early and were traveling before mid-morning. They wanted to reach the walls before dark.

The walls came into view by the afternoon, they loomed in the distance. As they got closer the scouts could see a few titans clawing at the gate. They continued to travel towards the gates forming a plan as they went.

"I could turn titan?" Eren suggested. The scouts had stopped to finish making their plan. "There's normally not this many up north."

"Probably not the greatest idea right now." Sasha said. "It would be really helpful if they suddenly found some cannon shells."

Armin nodded in agreement. "We don't want to scare the garrison." He said looking over to the titans. One of them started to walk slowly towards them. A few of the others turned to the scouts, but then turned back to the wall.

"There are only nine of them. We could draw them away from the wall then run in." Krista suggested.

"There are two abnormals. They could gain on us and we'd have to fight them." Jean sighed pinching the bridge of his nose. "There are nine of us and nine of them. All of us are capable of taking a titan down."

"Ve don't vant to try solo. Partner up vith someone, there vill be a group of three, and take them on one at a time." Prussia said as everyone nodded and started to pair up. Gilbert and Matthew, Connie and Sasha, Jean and Krista, Armin, Mikasa and Eren were paired to gather.

"Stay close together and don't split up. Watch your gas use; we don't have much left in reserve." Canada said turning Spitfire towards the walls. The younger scouts nodded and they started to move towards the wall.

Mikasa hopped off her horse to attack the titan that was moving towards them. Armin did as well and he went for the Achilles' tendon. The titan started to tip backwards and Mikasa hooked into its shoulder. She slashed through the neck as it fell and landed gracefully on her and Eren's horse. Eren kept the horse steady and directed it to the next titan.

The scouts broke off into their pairs as they called out which titans they were going after. Matthew circled around the titan's feet watching it stomp around attempting to follow Gilbert who was swinging around its face. The titan raised its arms up to swat at the albino, but he cut through the ugly giants eyes. He dropped back down to the ground as Canada reeled in to cut through the nape. The titan collapsed forward and hit the ground with a thump.

Both of the nations climbed back onto their horses and chose their next target. The other scouts were doing fine against the other titans. Mikasa, Eren and Armin were taking on the small abnormal. Most of the pairs had already killed their first titan and moved on to their second.

The nations spotted a titan that was running their way. It was the taller of the two abnormals. It saw them and started to run, more like skip, towards the couple.

The ground shook as the ugly giant came towards them. Canada hooked into the titan's ankle and swung around its legs. The wire became taught and the titan tripped falling forward. The Canadian unhooked the wire and got back on his horse. The titan flailed around trying to get its feet underneath itself.

Matthew hooked into the titans Achilles' tendon and reeled in to it. He sliced through one and hopped over to the other also cutting it. As the titan was distracted by the pain in its legs, Gilbert sliced through the nape successfully killing it.

The Canadian looked around. There was only one titan left, it was small and slow. Jean jumped off his horse and easily sliced through the ugly titan's nape. It fell forward and Jean landed than rolled onto his feet. As he walked over to his horse Matthew noticed that he was favouring his right leg.

Prussia called over to Armin telling him to send up flair. Before he could fire the flair the gate rumbled open. The scouts trotted towards the gates and waited for it to be high enough for them to enter. Matthew and Gilbert waited for all of the scouts to be inside before entering.

"Welcome back." Anna greeted them as soon as they came down from the wall. A crowd had gathered around the returning scouts. "Was starting to worry, wondered if we'd see you again."

"Only a few injuries." Canada smiled dismounting Spitfire. He looked over the younger scouts seeing that most of them had a few cuts and bruises. "Do you have any first aid supplies?"

They nodded and motioned for the scouts to follow them. They grabbed their supplies off the horses and followed. Jean was limping along until Armin and Connie offered their help. Jean didn't look to happy, but took the offer. Anna took the group to a small supply room and started to rummage through some crates. Matthew started to dig through the boxes and together they found a couple rolls of bandages, needle and medical thread as well as a bottle of disinfectant.

"I know we have no pain killers left. Those were used very quickly." Anna said biting their lip. "I assume you can imagine why."

"That's okay." Gilbert said. "Ve'll take care of ourselves. Jou've already done enough for us."

The garrison member nodded. "We'll take care of your horses. You can find your way back to your quarters?"

"Yes, thank you very much." Matthew said running a hand through his hair. Anna left walking back towards where they had come from. The scouts quickly found their way back to the small house they stayed in before.

Canada looked after the more major injuries while Prussia started the fire. There were only a few cuts that needed stitches and none of them were life threatening, unless they became infected.

The Canadian moved onto Jean's leg. His ankle was swollen and bruises were starting to form. "What happened?" He asked trying to get a better idea of the damage.

"I landed on it funny." Jean grumbled. "I felt a crack, I think it's broken."

Matthew gently prodded the bruises feeling for any bumps that could have been bone shards, he didn't feel any. "It could be just a partial fracture. I don't feel any shards and there is no visible damage other than the bruises. I'm going to put a splint on it. I recommend you stay off it for a while, but that's going to be difficult. Don't do anything stupid."

**AN: Merry Christmas and happy holidays!**


	22. Chapter Twenty Two

Chapter Twenty Two

**AN: Back to school tomorrow :(**

Once Canada had finished putting the splint on Jean's leg the group had settled down for supper. As soon as they finished the older scouts started into the remaining of the history and answering any questions that came up.

Prussia explained the division of Berlin and the wall being built. The Canadian didn't have much to say. He tended to avoid Europe all together for a while, not wanting to get into any fights. The albino continued to explain all the way up until the wall fell in November of 1989. He also covered what else happened in Europe during that time.

Matthew started to explain the North American side of history. He told of the holocaust survivors coming over to make a new life for themselves. He also mentioned the Korean, Vietnam and cold wars, but didn't go to in depth with them. He focused on the civil rights movements and fight for rights. He explained how a lot of people didn't have the same rights because of their skin colour, gender or sexuality.

The scouts looked surprised at that; they had been raised to respect everyone and their life choices because no one knew when theirs would be cut short.

Canada moved on to the more 'light hearted' side of history telling about the development of music, TV and radio. He told some of the titles and plots of movies and TV shows as well as songs, but he didn't sing them. One title he said was in French and he got a bunch of confused looks from the scouts.

"What?" Jean asked raising an eyes row after hearing the French.

"It's a different language." Prussia said.

"Different language?" Armin asked curiously. "There's more than one?"

Matthew looked surprised. He hadn't noticed that people had slowly forgotten that there was languages other than the one they spoke. "Yes, there's a bunch of different ones. What you just heard was French, but there is also German, Russian, Mandarin and a lot more."

"That's amazing." Krista said with a smile.

"Do people still speak them?" Eren asked.

"Not too much anymore or at all that I know of actually." Canada said. "They seem to be almost completely phased out."

The conversation moved on to the turn of the twentieth century. Matthew explained all the new technology and how it worked as best he could. He also told of the unrest in the Middle East and terrorist attacks around the world. The Canadian also started to explain global warming. There were too many factors to get into, so Matthew just explained the basics.

"And that's pretty much it. There wasn't much that happened after." The nation said with a yawn. "There is a little bit, but nothing overly important."'

"The world is a lot older than I ever expected." Armin said. "We've read about some of the stuff you described, but hearing a firsthand account of them really put things into perspective."

"You should really write all of it down and make a book." Sasha suggested.

Both nations shrugged. "That vould be a huge book." Prussia said. "It vould take years to vrite."

"And probably a lot of money to get it published." Canada said. "Anyway, that's a conversation for another day. It's getting late and we need to leave early tomorrow."

The scouts nodded and moved to their sleeping bags. Krista helped Jean to his sleeping bag. He was still complaining about the pain in his leg every time he put weight on it.

Matthew and Gilbert settled down in their sleeping bag and sighed. The night was quiet and chilly. Canada yawned and snuggled closer to Prussia.

-❄"I'm a Grimm bloody fable with an unhappy bloody ending."❄-

The next morning the scouts were up and packed before the sun had risen. They found their way through the quiet streets of the district to the stables. Anna was already there waiting for them.

They were sitting on a hay bale eating an apple. "Good morning." They said yawning and hopping off the hay bale. "Thought you'd end up here."

"Ve're pretty predictable." Prussia said with a smile walking over to his Mondi. The scouts started to take care and tack up their horses, Anna took care of Jean's horse. Once they were ready Matthew helped Jean onto his horse. The scouts lead their horses though the streets to the southern gate.

"We'll keep in touch. I'll make sure that a supply route is set up as soon as possible." Matthew said climbing onto Spitfire.

Anna nodded. "We'd appreciate that." They said with a smirk. The garrison member looked up to the wall where another garrison member was giving them hand signals. "He says that there are no titans in sight right now. Have a good trip and stay safe."

The dark haired garrison member made their way up the wall as a small crowd gathered around the scouts. The sun was finally up, but it was still dark inside the wall. Canada sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He looked over his shoulder to make sure the younger scouts were ready. Everyone looked ready with the exception of Connie and Sasha were talking excitedly.

Prussia waved up to Anna giving them the signal to open the gate. The garrison member disappeared over the edge of the wall and the gate started to rise. The wind blew through the gate and ruffled Spitfire's hair. As soon as the gate was high enough for them to pass the scouts urged their horses forward.

The ground in front of them was muddy from the melted snow. There were still a few piles of the white stuff lying around. Matthew looked around for titans but there were none in sight.

For the first few hours the trip was uneventful, there were no titans around, the clouds in the sky and barely even a breeze. They could see wall rose now.

Canada sighed as they neared the old boarder. He looked over to Prussia; he had a blank expression on his face. He could tell that the Prussian was just as happy to be back as he was. The albino didn't have the same connection to the land has he did, but he also felt like he was leaving home.

**AN: Second to last chapter! Almost done… Also, been thinking of maybe setting up an ask-blog for my versions of Canada. This would include, Dare Devil(Dawn of a New Age and Shining Waves), Forgotten Knight, Don't Fear the Reaper and other upcoming ones too! I don't know if there would be enough interest to bother tho.**


	23. Chapter Twenty Three

Chapter Twenty Three

**AN: I've started an ask blog! As me or any of my Canadas a question and I will answer. I am tallpoppy-canada on Tumblr, or click the link on my profile! I will also be posting random Canada stuff not just asks.**

The rest of their journey was uneventful. There were still no titans in sight as they entered the wall.

A garrison member was there to greet them. "Welcome back. Need anything?" He asked.

"Just a bottle of acetaminophen please." Matthew said seeing Jeans pained expression. He knew that the drug wasn't fast acting, but it was most likely the only thing they had and it would take the edge off. The garrison member nodded and walked off to find it. Minutes later, he was back with the medicine and a canteen full of water. "Thank you." He said.

The Canadian passed the pills and water over to Jean who immediately took them. Matthew looked around trying to see if Alfred was there, but he didn't spot him in the growing crowd. It was getting close to lunch so the scouts decided to start moving.

-❄"When I was a young man, I had liberty, but I did not see it. I had time, but I did not know it. I had love, but I did not feel it."❄-

**AN: Sorry for skipping all the travel back to headquarters, but I'm lazy.**

Matthew sighed as he dismounted Spitfire. They had just ridden into the entrance of the scouts stables. He tied Spitfire to the post and helped Jean down from his horse. Eren volunteered to help Jean to the medical wing.

Canada took care of Spitfire before caring for Jeans horse. He took both of them out to the paddocks when he had finished. Prussia was almost done with Eren's horse and lead both outside when he was done. The other scouts finished taking care of their horses around the same time. They were all sitting on the paddocks fence watching them play.

A scout walked up to them and cleared her throat. "The commander wishes to see all of you in an hour." She said. The scouts nodded and she turned to walk away.

"Unpack jour things and make sure that jou arrive on time." Prussia said hopping off the fence. The younger scouts nodded and went their separate ways. Matthew and Gilbert walked back to the stables and grabbed their bags before heading to their quarters.

-❄"What is a man, but the sum of his memories? We are the stories we live! The tales we tell ourselves!"❄-

Canada and Prussia walked into the meeting room five minutes early. The younger scouts showed up a few seconds later and took their seats. Erwin and Levi walked into the room almost ten minutes late. By then Sasha fell asleep on the table and Eren and Jean were playing Rock, Paper, and Scissors.

The commander and corporal took their seats and Erwin cleared his throat. Everyone turned to him. "Welcome back." He said. "I trust that your trip was good and Matthew and Gilbert took good care of you?"

Armin was the first to speak. "It was beautiful. There were so many new things to see it was hard to keep track of them."

"We only had two run in's with the titans. Only a few small injuries at the first, but Jean's leg happened at the second." Matthew said. He didn't bother mentioning his injuries because he didn't see them as major.

"Good and the north district still has people?" Erwin asked taking notes.

"Yes, the people there are surviving vell, but do need some supplies. They are expecting us to set up some kind of a supply route soon." Prussia said. "They're completely out of cannon shells and running low on medical supplies."

"We'll send some people out early next week. We'll send a carrier pigeon a head of time as well." The commander said. "You were able to get through the history?"

"For the most part yes. We took the first few days to explain technology and answer questions about them. Then we started into world history." The Canadian said sitting back in his chair.

"Great." Erwin said standing up signalling that the meeting was over. "I expect a full report from you two by the end of the month." Prussia groaned grabbing the paper Erwin handed him. He looked it over and handed to Canada knowing that he wouldn't lose it.

The younger scouts were listening to Levi as he explained what they would be doing over the next couple of days. It sounded like they would be stuck with a lot of chores. Matthew and Gilbert started back to their quarters. It was fairly late in the night now and the air was cool. The moon was high in the sky and the stars were shining.

-❄"The problem is not the problem; the problem is your attitude about the problem."❄-

Once they got back, Canada finished up the little bit of unpacking they had left while Prussia went to find some snacks. The albino brought back a bowl full of fruit a few minutes later. The nations sat down on their bed and ate some of the fruit.

The Canadian set the bowl on the bed side table and settled back in bed. Gilbert was lying on his back and Matthew used him as a pillow.

"Vhat are ve going to do tomorrow?" Prussia asked.

"Maybe take Glacies for a ride and find Alfred?" The blond suggested with a yawn. Prussia nodded sleepily and brushed some hair out of Canada's face. The couple talked for a little bit longer, but fell peacefully asleep soon after.

**AN: Possible bonus chapter? Let me know if you guys want one!**

Finished on March 18th 2017


	24. Bonus

Shining Waves Bonus

**AN: This things gonna be long af.**

"Where do you two think you're going?" Matthew and Gilbert turned around to see Levi behind them. "Aren't you on kitchen cleaning duty?"

"It's clean." Prussia said raising an eyebrow. "Just going for a ride."

Erwin was looking for you earlier." Levi said crossing his arms and leaning against the wall.

"Was he?" Matthew asked innocently. Levi nodded. "I'm sure it can wait."

"Probably, I didn't see you two." Levi mumbled pushing off the wall and walking away. Gilbert looked over to Matthew with a smile and they started off again. Erwin had been keeping them quite busy lately with random small tasks and they hadn't been able to sneak away until today. They intended to look for Alfred and hopefully find him. The pair had packed a change of uniform and not much else.

"Spitfire is missing a shoe. I'll take Glacies." Matthew said as they walked into the stables. He stopped for a second to give Spitfire a carrot and a pet before saying goodbye. "It'll be good for him to be around people."

"Hopefully he doesn't kick anyone." Prussia said taking Mondi out of his stall. Matthew laughed walking up to Glacies stall and letting him out as well. The horse had taken quite a liking to Canada and would only let the nation ride him easily; others still had problems. The couple only took a few minutes to ready their horses and set off.

The nations went around wall Sina again enjoying the scenery on their trip to Nedly. It was Glacies first time out of the Scout headquarters. He was excited, ears flicking around to pick up new sounds and sniffing for new scents. Every once and a while Mondi would nip at the younger horses shoulder as if to say 'pay attention.'

"Vhere did jou see Alfred?" The albino asked as they rode into the edge of town.

"In the crowd as the garrison was about to open the gate." Matthew said running a hand through his hair. He started to scan the streets as they got closer to the center of the district.

"Hey!" Someone called from behind them. The pair stopped their horses and looked to see a garrison soldier. He started to approach the horses. "What are you two scouts doing way up here?"

"Looking for someone." Prussia replied as the man got closer.

"Oh, who?" He asked raising an eyebrow and putting his hands on his hips. A few of his comrades were walking over now. "We might be able to help."

"Alfred Jones." The blond said. "Blond hair, blue eyes, about 5'11" or 6'."

"Glasses and a weird cowlick?" One of the other members asked. The Canadian nodded. "He normally hangs around the market. I've seen him there once or twice."

"It's tough to get horses through there. It's very crowded." The first man said. "Leave them with us."

Canada nodded and both of the nations dismounted. "Careful, this one bites. I wouldn't suggest riding him." The Scout warned. As soon as he said it Glacies nipped at the second member's jacket. She jumped in surprise.

"Good to know." Her partner said taking Glacies rains while the woman took Mondi's. Canada slung their backpack over his shoulder and quickly thanked the garrison before they started off towards the market.

They took up a post on the corner to watch the crowds. The market was full of customers and vendors selling food and wares. Something smelled amazing and made the albinos stomach rumble loudly. Matthew heard it and laughed.

"Shut up." Prussia grumbled scanning through the market. He spotted quite a few blond people, but none with a cowlick. A couple of kids came up and talked with the pair of scouts for a few minutes before being called by their parents.

"Mattie?" Canada had been too focused on searching the crowds in front of him he hadn't noticed someone coming to his side. He looked over to see Alfred beside him. The American squealed pulling Matthew into a hug and lifting him up in the air. The Canadian yelped, but still hugged back. "It's been so long! I thought that was you, but I wasn't sure."

The American eyed Prussia for a moment before also giving him a hug. He hadn't really like the albino much, but that was because he was protective of his brother.

"You guys joined the scouts?" Alfred asked noticing the uniforms.

"Yeah, years ago." Canada said with a small smile. "What have you been up to?"

"Not much. Mostly helping Papa with the bakery." The American said with a sigh. Then he gasped. "Oh! Papa and Dad will be so happy to see you!"

"There here as vell?" Prussia asked with a smile.

"Yeah, the night the titans came they were over visiting and got stuck here." Alfred said. He motioned for the two scouts to follow him. "They weren't too happy at first, but Papa opened a bakery and Dad 'helped.' It keeps them occupied enough."

"England helps?" The Prussian asked surprised as they walked through the market. "How?"

"He mostly does the cleaning and a bit of piping on the cakes. France still won't let him bake anything." America said with a laugh. "Some things never change."

"Sometimes change can be good, but letting England cook is never a good idea." Matthew smiled.

"We live just around the corner in the apartment above the bakery." America explained. "It's after lunch so we're closed until tomorrow."

"Only open for breakfast and lunch?" Prussia asked and the blond nodded. Alfred led them to a cute little store front with beautiful cakes and pastries in the window. "Those look amazing."

"They are amazing. Francis will probably make you eat some left overs from the day." America opened the door and stepped in. He held the door for the scouts. "I'm back! Come and see who I brought!"

"Who, Alfred?" Canada heard England grumble from the other room. His head peaked out from the back room and gasped. "Gilbert? Matthew?"

"Quoi?" They heard France asked from somewhere else in the building. Arthur came over to where Canada and Prussia was standing and shook their hands. Matthew was surprised that he actually remembered him.

"It's good to see you again." The Englishman said with a smile. Then he turned to Prussia. "You're taking good care of my son?" Arthur asked warningly.

Gilbert scratched the back of his neck and smiled shyly. "I try."

"Dad." Matthew laughed at the Prussians slight discomfort. The scouts started to hear footsteps, but weren't prepared by the sudden Frenchman flying at them. France pulled them both into a huge bear hug shouting happy things in French.

"Where have you been?!" Francis demanded pulling back. "We thought you were dead!"

"Not yet, surprisingly." Prussia shrugged. "Ve've been keeping pretty busy."

"I can see that. How long have you been part of the scouts?" England asked as France waved for them to follow him upstairs. He led them into a small, but beautiful kitchen. He motioned for them to sit at the table and grabbed some pastries from the counter and sat them in front of the scouts with a smile. They both happily grabbed one.

"Like seventy or eighty years?" Matthew continued. "We're not too good at keeping dates."

"Never have been." America said rolling his eyes.

"Probably never vill be." Gilbert laughed. "Oh, umm..." He ran a hand thought his hair nervously. "Ve also got engaged."

"What?!" The three other nations yelled in unison.

"Since when?" Alfred demanded.

"Congratulations!" Francis yelled speaking over top of America.

"No rings?" Arthur asked looking down at their hands.

"Like fifty years? Yet again, not good with dates." Canada explained. "We have them, but can't really wear them. It's dangerous to wear any jewelry or anything when using the maneuvering gear."

"You guys actually use that stuff?" America asked suddenly side tracked. "It so cool!"

"Gil was the first to use it." Matthew said with a small proud smile remembering some of the memories.

"First person stupid enough." Prussia mumbled.

"You said it." England said shaking his head. "How did you come to the conclusion that trying that gear would be a good idea?"

"It seemed like fun and it vas." Gilbert smiled. "Vell until I hit a tree."

Alfred snorted. "That must have hurt. Break anything?"

"Not at first somehow, but I did later." Prussia sighed. "Mostly fingers and toes, but I did break my collar bone once or tvice."

"What about you?" Alfred asked Matthew raising an eyebrow.

"I didn't even try it much later." Matthew shrugged.

"Mr. Ace pilot didn't try it until much later?" America teased with a smirk. "You kill titans then?"

"Flying through trees on wires is a lot more dangerous than a plane. Add in swords and it's a whole new level of crazy. Yes we kill titans." The blond said with a smile. France handed the scouts a couple of muffins. "And we're crazy enough to do it. I've broke quite a few fingers and my wrist."

"Where were you guys going anyways?" Alfred asked also grabbing a muffin from France. "Who was with you?"

"They vere the 104th trainee squad." The Prussian explained. "Ve vere heading to the ocean."

"Why?" England asked raising an eyebrow and taking a sip of his tea.

"They're the future of the scouts." Matthew said. He felt Gilbert's hand slip around his waist. "Erwin asked us to tell them the world's history and show them the ocean."

"You don't like Erwin do you Mathieu?" France asked leaning back on his chair.

"Not particularly. We don't see eye to eye on a lot of things." The Canadian said with a shrug. "He's not a bad man by any means, but we just don't get along well."

"That's fair enough." Arthur said. "Are you planning on staying with the scouts then?"

Prussia and Canada looked at each other and shrugged. "Ve've been thinking of maybe leaving."

"There are still people way up north. Kuma might be up there too." Matthew explained. "Being in the walls so long is starting to get claustrophobic."

"You're planning on living outside the walls?" Francis asked surprised.

"Probably." The blond shrugged. "I really want to go see those people."

"And I'll follow him anywhere." Gilbert said. The other three still seemed to be in shock.

"Are you crazy?" Alfred blurted out.

"Didn't I answer that question earlier?" Matthew said with a laugh. He was enjoying their reactions. "We haven't decided for sure yet and if we did we'd let you know."

"You'd better let us know." Alfred said. "Wouldn't titans go after you?"

"Titans don't actually go after nations." Prussia said. "Not by scent anyvays. If they see us, because ve look like humans, they'll go for us."

"Really?" Alfred asked surprised.

"Don't get any ideas." Canada and England said in unison. France and Prussia snorted while America just pouted.

"You mentioned earlier that you broke your collar bone," England started and Prussia nodded. "Did it heal well?"

"Ja, a bit slower than it used to though." Gilbert shrugged.

"I broke a few ribs on the way to the ocean. They mostly healed in about a day or so." Matthew said with frown. "Slower than it used to be, but still much faster than a regular human."

"How did you do that?" Alfred asked.

"Our group got cornered by titans and Krista, one of the trainees, got grabbed by a titan. I went to slice its eyes so it would let go of her, but it snapped at me and caught my cape." The scout started to explain. "I unbuttoned it to get away and fell onto a boulder."

"Ouch." Alfred said wincing.

Francis shook his head with a frown. "Why do you put yourself in danger?"

"Ve vanted to help people and thought the scouts' vould be the best vay to." Prussia said with a shrugged. "And ve vere bored."

"Best decision making process ever." Alfred rolled his eyes.

"It's getting late." France said. Then he asked, "Would you like to stay for dinner?"

Matthew and Prussia looked at each other and nodded in unison. "Sure." "Okay." They said over top of each other.

Francis got up to start supper and the Canadian went to help him. England, America and Prussia went to the living room and started to play chess. France quickly slipped into French and Matthew did as well. It had been a long time since either of them had had a full conversation in French.

"C'est bon d'avoir quequ'un qui est qualifié dans la cusine pour cuisiner avec." Francis said with a smile and Canada laughed.

"Je ne cuisine plus souvent." Matthew sighed. "I miss it."

"You two could always come back and live with us." France said tending to the cooking fire.

"I don't think Gil could handle being around Alfred constantly." Canada shrugged. He could here the two arguing over weather a chess move was legal or not. "We'll stick with the scouts for now, but we'll have to see what happens in the future."

The pair finished cooking and Francis called everyone to the meal. They ate and talked about past and present things; retelling old stories and talking a lot about the news. It was starting to get dark out when the scouts decided that they should leave.

"You better come back and visit." Alfred threatened giving them both a bear hug. Arthur and Francis nodded in agreement. "At least once a month."

"We'll try." Canada promised as the American pulled away.

"Ve'll be back." Prussia said with a smirk and patting his stomach. "Can't pass up the awesome food."

France smiled proudly. "Merci."

"We'll also let you know if we plan on leaving." Matthew said and Prussia nodded.

"You better or I will personally climb over the wall to find and kick your ass." The American warned pointing a warning finger at Canada.

"Vell, jou'd have to climb over this vall, run for like two days, and then climb another vall." Prussia pointed out and Alfred gave him a dirty look.

"Whatever." Alfred rolled his eyes. They gave one final good bye and promised to come back before making their way back to the market place. From there they found their way back to the garrison. The horses were happy to see them and Canada quickly thanked the soldiers before they rode off.

It was early in the morning by the time the pair got back to the scout headquarters. The two took care of their horses before putting them into the fields. On the way back to their quarters there was almost no one up and around.

Levi still was though. "Welcome back." He said sipping his tea. "Erwin is still looking for you two as far as I know."

"Great, thanks." Matthew said through a yawn. "It can wait until tomorrow."

"Ja, tomorrow sounds good." Prussia mumbled. The pair started back towards their quarters again. As soon as they got there they both undressed and climbed into bed. Matthew tucked his head under Gilbert's chin as the Prussian wrapped his arms around his waist. Both fell asleep almost instantly.

**AN: Going to leave it here for now. Leaving it open for interpretation on whether or not they stayed with the Scouts or left. Maybe, probably not, in the future I'll do a sequel, but not anytime soon. Follow my ask blog (tallpoppy-canada) on Tumblr for updates on this and all my other fics!**


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